A Twist of Fate
by MissLoo
Summary: Lennan was a little girl whose mother's neglect and abuse caught the eye of a crazy, blue eyed biker, leading him to save her life in more ways than one. Finding a new life in SAMCRO and befriending Jax and Opie was a dream come true. But Lennan soon realizes that being a biker's daughter isn't always fun. (AU, childhood, and high school. Some OOC's). Disclaimer: I do not own SOA.
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! This is my first attempt at writing Fanfiction. But I am a long time reader of this website. I'm currently obsessed with Sons (again), and wanted to try to write about it.**

**Feel free to review, but please be polite. Thank you! I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**June** **1999**

It was a cool, breezy night in Charming, California. This time of year was always a hit or miss. Sometimes, the weather was too humid to stand. And other times, like tonight, it was mild enough to coax people out of their homes and lure them into the park, or maybe to one of the outdoor café's that had just recently opened on Main Street.

The night was quiet, with only the humming and buzzing coming from the streetlights in-front of the small, modest home on the city limits of the tiny town. The street itself was located in one of the more economically deprived areas, and was pocked with potholes and weeds, while the lawn of the one story home alternated between scorched, crispy grass and overgrown patches that reached the mid-calf.

Tig Trager didn't pay attention to any of that, though. His mind was only concerned with the scantily clad crow eater he had pressed up against the weathered brick of the building. They had just returned from a Friday night party at the Sons of Anarchy, Redwood Original clubhouse. The Sergeant at Arms had knocked back drink after drink with his brothers in celebration of something his alcohol-hazed mind couldn't remember. And, quite frankly, as he squeezed one of the woman's breasts in his hand while she sucked on his neck, he didn't care.

"Come on, baby," she slurred, just as intoxicated as he was. "Let's go inside and have a little bit of fun." She tried her best to wink at him, but all she accomplished was a slow, uncoordinated blink. Tig looked up at the home, wondering why he had agreed to come to her place. _Because_, he reminded himself. _All the dorm rooms were full and I don't take crow eaters home._

Tig was not a modest man, and he had no qualms about having his dick sucked on the pool table in the middle of the clubhouse. In his time, he had done some pretty messed up shit, and exhibitionism wouldn't have even been enough to grace the tip of his debauchery iceberg. This crow eater, Alana he thought was her name, had been more than eager to offer up her home as a place for their sexscapades. The two had barely made it off his bike before they were pawing at each other.

He shook his head, trying clear it a little, and she grabbed his hand, pulling him toward the front door. She fumbled with her keys for a few seconds before finally finding the right one. Tig heard the deadbolt slip back into the door, and Alana opened it and pulled him inside. The first thing he registered was the smell of stale cigarette smoke with a hint of weed that smacked him in the face. Obviously, this woman didn't know how to open a damn window. The second thing was the fact that the small home was filthy. As they made their way through what he saw was the living room, Tig noticed, even in his drunken stupor, the fact that there was trash lying everywhere. Old newspapers littered the floor, accompanied by empty cigarette packets, a pizza box, beer bottles and paper carryout cups. The small, scuffed coffee table that sat between the tiny television and a scratchy looking couch was covered in old cups and used plates.

As Alana dragged him along the hallway, Tig noticed that the kitchen was in just as bad of shape as the living room. Shaking his head in disgust, he followed her past a door that had a small amount of light leaking through the cracks. He assumed it was a spare bedroom when she didn't even pause at it. To his right was a bathroom that was too dark for him to see into.

Finally making it into the main bedroom at the end of the hall, Alana slammed the door shut and spun on her heel to look at Tig. She did so a little too quickly, wobbling a bit before steadying herself. Tig looked around him at the clothes laying on the floor, the closet that looked like it was throwing up fabrics and patent leather pumps, and the vanity table in the corner that held makeup brushes, tubes of lipsticks and bottles of perfume. He turned back to Alana as she strutted up to him and pushed him onto the bed.

He watched her with raised eyebrows as she shimmied in front of him, kicked off her heels, and danced with no music. She was a little older than Tig. Maybe in her late thirties, but she had a tight little body and a pretty face. She had talked to him about how she had wanted to become a model, but shit had gotten in the way and she had come to Charming for a fresh start. He had nodded and given her more beer, hoping that if she thought he was listening, she would shut up and suck his dick quicker.

Alana crawled onto the bed, her legs straddling his hips. She cupped her breasts over her thin, shimmer tank top and ground into him. Tig placed his hands on her hips and smirked at her. "Those are very pretty, baby. But I think it's time for me to unwrap them," he said. He rolled her over so that she was laying on her back. Pulling her tank top down roughly, he took his time looking at the beautiful orbs in front of him. He shook his head, and slipped a nipple into his mouth, grinning when he heard her gasp.

He slowly laved his tongue over one, then went to the other. He was enjoying himself. Tits were a beautiful thing and just so happened to be his favorite part of the female body. He just loved them, and loved to touch and taste them. He was having a wonderful time, until, suddenly, he heard a strange noise from above his head. He stopped his ministrations and listened carefully. After a couple of seconds, he looked down at Alana's face.

As the noise rang out once more, he realized what it was. The bitch is snoring! He looked down at the sleeping form of the crow eater whose tits he was just sucking on. Her eyes were shut, her lips slightly parted, and every few seconds, a soft snore would escape her mouth.

"You gotta be fucking kidding me," he muttered, running a hand through his curly black hair. He shook his head as she snored again. Heaving a sigh, Tig carefully got up off the bed. He hadn't even had time to take off his cut.

_Well, whatever. Coulda been worse,_ he told himself as he quietly made his way to the bedroom door. He slipped out and softly closed it before slowly making his way down the hallway. His buzz was gone, and now all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. He passed the bathroom again, and as he approached the door that he had assumed was the spare room, he noticed that the light he had seen earlier was off.

Tig stopped at the door and cocked his head. He could have sworn that a light had been on not even fifteen minutes ago, but now it was off. Why? As he stood there pondering, he heard a muffled sound from inside. Tig took a slight step back, narrowing his eyes. Slowly, he put his hand on the gun at his side, and leaned his ear against the chipped paint.

His narrowed eyes went wide and his hand came off of his weapon when he realized the sound he heard was a tiny sob. He pulled his hand through his hair again, not wanting to get involved, but something in his gut told him he needed to. He stood there, indecisively for a few heartbeats before making a decision when he heard the noise again. He carefully put his hand on the knob and turned it, pushing the door open. He heard the quick intake of breath, and what sounding like someone scrambling to get to the other side of the room.

It was dark, so he searched the wall with his hand for a light-switch. Finally, he found it, and flicked it on. Even though the light itself was dim, he still had to squint as his eyes adjusted. Tig shook his head, and looked around the room. It was sparsely furnished, with only a small twin sized bed, a dresser, and a plywood desk with a broken chair, but it was immaculately clean. It looked as if no one lived there. He knew he wasn't going crazy, so he took a couple of steps into the room.

"Hello?" Tig asked quietly. After no response, he walked over to the closet. Before he reached the handle, he heard a shuffling behind him. He spun around and crouched, ready to draw his weapon. He didn't see a damn thing. "I heard you," he said a little louder. He walked toward the bed, hand still on his weapon. As he rounded the corner, Tig stopped abruptly and his hand fell off of his gun.

Sitting before him, huddled on the floor was a little girl. Her mahogany colored hair that gleamed in the dim light was pulled into a ponytail, and she was hugging her knees to her chest. Tig felt his heart drop as he looked at her. Not only was he feeling a churning in his gut at the fact that a child so young was alone in the house when he and the crow eater had gotten here, but there was also a pain that stabbed him at the fear he saw in the child's bright blue eyes.

"Who are you?" the little girl whispered through her tears as she hugged her knees to her chest even tighter. Tig's heart that had dropped just seconds ago shattered at the anguish in her little voice. "Are you gonna hurt me?" she continued, scooting away from him as a fresh set of tears slipped from her eyes and rolled down her face.

Tig slowly crouched down to her, trying not to startle her. "No, honey. I'm not gonna hurt you. My name is Tig. What's yours?" He spoke in a low tone, trying to soothe her. He released a little sigh of relief when she seemed to stop shaking. The little girl took a hand away from her leg and wiped her face.

"My name is Lennan," she said in a small voice, not meeting his eyes. She started playing with a string on her nightgown. "Are you a friend of my mommy's?"

Tig rocked back on his heels, his eyes wide. He had no idea Alana had a child, let alone one so young. Let alone one so young that she would leave at fucking home all by her fucking self, he thought bitterly, getting the sudden urge to march out of the room and start screaming at the drunken whore asleep at the end of the hall. He looked at the little girl in front of him and nodded slowly. "Yeah, sweetie. I brought her back home. She needed to go to sleep. Lennan, how old are you?"

Lennan stopped picking at the string and looked up at him. "I'm seven. How old are you?" she shot back. Tig chuckled at her defiant tone, and shook his head.

"I'm thirty-three," he answered, finally sitting back on his butt. He looked at little Lennan, who stared right back at him.

"You're not like mommy's usual friends," she said after a few minutes. Tig quirked an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. He felt for this little girl. Tig Trager was not a man who many would call compassionate. He could kill a man without blinking. His time in the Marines had made sure of that. He would kill for his club if he had to. He would kill to protect. Actually, he would kill someone who just pissed him off at a bad time. But the one think that Tig couldn't stand was a child being mistreated. It may have stemmed from the fact that, although he never saw them, he had two girls of his own. Or it may just have been the fact that children were precious. Whatever the case, he knew he couldn't just walk away from this obviously neglected child without getting some answers.

Lennan shrugged. She finally unwrapped her arms from her legs, stretching out so they were in front of her. "Normally when mommy brings home a friend, I'm supposed to stay in here and not make a sound. They get loud sometimes. It's not yelling, but they make a lot of noise. Then, it gets quiet. Sometimes, I hear them leave. Sometimes, they come in here. I get scared when they do that. So I try to keep quiet." She got quiet and looked down at the ground.

Tig found it hard to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat. "What do they do when they come in here?" he asked.

Lennan looked at him, with tears in her eyes. "They never talk to me like you do. They see me. They smile. Sometimes they touch me. I don't like it when they do that, so I start to cry. And that makes them mad. A lot of the time, my mommy hears and comes in." Big tears started to fall down her face again as she told him her story.

"Oh, sweetheart," Tig started, feeling tears prick his own eyes. He had the sudden urge to go on a rampage and kill every man who had ever come in contact with this child. "I'm not gonna do that. I promise."

She looked at him with wary eyes that were still leaking tears. She wanted to believe him, but she didn't know if she should. She was very young, yes. But because of how she had grown up, she was able to judge someone's character within a few minutes of meeting them. And this man, with his black curls and crazy blue eyes that were only a shade lighter than hers, made her feel safe.

She cautiously scooted toward him. Tig held his breath, wondering what the little girl was about to do. She got within a few inches of him, and he could see her better in the dim light. She was thin. Thinner than he thought she should be. Her big blue eyes had dark smudges underneath, as if she didn't sleep much, or sleep well. She looked fragile, like a little porcelain doll. Like she could break at any moment. And that broke his heart.

Still crying, Lennan made one final decision. It had been so long since she had had any sort of comfort. Her mommy had abandoned hugs long ago, and she hadn't had someone to care if she cried for a very long time. She gave a little wail before throwing her arms around Tig's neck and sobbing uncontrollably. She had never had someone come into her life that had actually cared enough to ask about her. This man, in a matter of a few minutes, had made her feel safer than she ever had with her mother. Hell, in the past few minutes, Tig had said more to her than her mother had in the past week.

Tig was shocked and for a second, he didn't move. He sat there, with this little girl he had just met, who had just flung her arms around his neck and who was sobbing so hard her little frame shook. She kept heaving in breaths so hard he was afraid she would pass out. He gently began to stroke the hair on her head, rubbing a circle on her back with her other hand. Her little body shook with her sobs for what seemed like an eternity before she finally calmed down enough to start yawning.

Tig picked Lennan up, noticing she weighed even less than he imagined. The little girl hiccupped, then yawned again. He placed her in her bed, and pulled the covers up to her chin. He smiled at her as he stroked some stray hair out of her face. "It'll be okay, princess. Don't worry. I'm gonna stay right here while you sleep, and no one will hurt you."

Lennan nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Tiggy," she said softly. Tig smiled and nodded at the child fell into the first restful sleep she had experienced in many, many months.

Tig looked at her little form, her breathing deep. He ran a hand through his hair, and pulled out his phone. Quickly dialing a number he knew by heart, he listened to it ring a couple of times before the person on the other end answered.

"What the hell do you want, Tig? It's two in the goddamn morning," Clay Morrow, SAMCRO's President and Tig's closest friend griped. Tig knew that there were more issues the club had to deal with, on a bigger scale. But this one needed dealt with, too.

"We need to talk," Tig said, looking at Lennan's sleeping form again. He had just met this little girl, and she was changing his life. _And_, he vowed to himself, _I'm gonna change hers, too. No one will ever hurt this little angel again_.

* * *

Tig jerked awake at the sound of a slamming door. Shortly after, a shower started. He figured that Alana had finally woken up, and glancing at the watch he had on his wrist, he was surprised she was such an early riser for how much she drank the night before. He stretched his arms above his head and suppressed a groan, not wanting to wake the child sleeping in the bed he sat beside.

Lennan looked as if she hadn't moved all night. She was still in the same position she had fallen asleep in, with her mahogany ponytail splayed out over her pillow and her little hands clutching at the thin comforter. Her chest rose and fell slightly with her breathing.

As Tig watched her, he thought back to the conversation he had had with Clay only hours before. He had explained the horrible situation Lennan was in, and the fact that her mother was a crow eater meant that the Club could do more with this than usual. _Talk to Alana in the morning. See where her head is at with her daughter. If she seems as if she doesn't want the kid, and from what you're telling me, it sounds like it, then maybe we can go about this legally. We have enough heat as it is, the last thing we need is for you to get charged with kidnapping. Use your head_, had been his President's advice.

Tig had agreed with him that he needed to be smart about this. But he also knew that, no matter what, he couldn't leave the house without Lennan. She had made every paternal instinct he had skyrocket, and he knew that he had found her for a reason. Tig was not the kind of man to believe in God, but he did believe in fate. And right now it was snoring slightly in the form of a neglected and abused child.

"Lennan! Wake your ass up and make me some coffee!" came Alana's shout from down the hall. Lennan jolted awake, looking around the room in fright before her bright blue eyes, so much older than her age, landed on him. She visibly relaxed a little, then went to get out of bed.

"Thank you for staying with me, Mr. Tiggy," she said in her tiny voice. "I gotta go make mommy her coffee. If I don't, she'll get really mad," she informed him, not noticing that she shivered slightly at the thought of her mother's temper. Alana hardly ever spoke to Lennan, unless it was to bark orders or to tell her what a mistake she was.

Tig looked at the little girl, his heart breaking all over again. In the dim light that was coming through the window next to the bed, her little face looked even more sallow, the tired bruises under her eyes even darker, and her frame even more bony. It didn't make sense to him how someone hadn't noticed this little child's condition. Finally, he realized she was about to walk to the door, and he put a large hand on her small shoulder. She may have been seven years old, but she only came up a little past his hip.

"No, baby girl. You stay here. I'm going to go talk to your mommy," he said, noticing the fear in her eyes. He didn't know if it had to do with his touch, or the fact that he had just told her to disobey her mother. To be safe, he let go of her shoulder and gently ushered her back to the bed. "You lay down for a little bit, and I'll be back in, okay?" He spoke to her softly, not wanting to make her anymore anxious. She hesitantly nodded her head, then moved to lay under the covers. Once her eyes shut, he quietly opened her door and closed it softly behind him.

Alana was walking out of her own room, using a hand to dry her hair with a towel, while puffing on a cigarette with the other. She had opened her mouth to speak, with an angry look on her face, when she glanced up and noticed that it was Tig standing there instead of her daughter. She dropped the towel in surprise, but quickly narrowed her eyes.

"I wondered where you ran off to. I had no idea you had a thing for babies," she said with a sneer. Oh, she remembered the night before. The fact that he was working his magic and for some goddamn reason, she couldn't stay awake. How she woke up this morning without him there and she realized she would probably be the laughingstock of the crow eater community come this afternoon. But now, seeing him come out of her daughter's room, her rage intensified. The little bitch had drawn another one of Alana's men into her room. She had to like making a fool out of her mother.

Tig stared, dumbstruck, at Alana's lack of parenting. Of course, he had two daughters of his own, and he wasn't a big figure in either of their lives. But neither Dawn nor Fawn had had to deal with a constant revolving door of lecherous men coming in thanks to their mother. If they had, he would have gotten them out of there immediately. Then he would have killed the bitch.

It took everything Tig had in him not to run down the hall and strangle the woman. But he knew that it wouldn't be a good idea. So, instead, he took a calming breath and leveled his eyes on her. "I don't have a thing for babies," he began calmly. "However, I do have something against whore mothers who let their men into their little girls' rooms. Men who are into molesting and beating babies." By the time he was finished, his anger was evident. He took a menacing step toward the woman, who scoffed.

"Oh, please!" Alana yelled, a scowl on her face. "She lures them into her room, then I have to come in and stop whatever they're doing. That little bitch just loves to humiliate me. And she does a pretty good fucking job at it."

"No. You do a pretty good job of humiliating yourself," Tig growled. He had had enough. Stalking to the short woman, he grabbed the front of her pink night shirt and drew her to him. Her eyes grew wide and fearful as she looked at him. Gone was the man that was kissing her neck only hours ago, and in his place was a crazy eyed killer. "This is how it's going to go," Tig told her. "You are going to come with me today to meet with my lawyer. You don't deserve to have a wonderful little girl like that. So you are going to sign over your rights, and I'm going to adopt her. And I'm going to take her out of this filth. If you try to fight me on this, you'll be in jail quicker than you can say 'handjob'. This place is horrible. I swear I saw cockroaches playing poker on the coffee table when we came in last night. Lennan is obviously not taken care of. One call to Child Protection, and you're gonna be getting fisted by Big Bertha in Cellblock C for the next five to ten. Got it?" Tig gave Alana a little shove, forcing her to catch herself on her door frame.

She gave him a little nod before turning her back on him. "Take her," she said over her shoulder. "I never wanted that little bitch, and I don't want her now. You taking her off my hands is a blessing."

Tig ground his teeth, glaring at the horrible woman's back. All he wanted to do was pull out the gun he had on his waist and put two bullets in the back of her head. But he knew he couldn't. Finally, he said, "I'm taking Lennan to the clubhouse. Meet me there in two hours. If you run, I will fucking find you, and you won't like what I do when I catch up to you." He spun on his heel and walked out to the disgusting living room, making a call to his president.

"Jesus, Tig," Clay said after his Sergeant at Arms briefed him on the plan. Clay ran a hand over his face, wondering what the hell Tig was thinking. "Are you sure about this? Are you ready to raise a seven year old?"

Tig scratched his head, and nodded, forgetting that Clay couldn't see. "Yeah, brother. I'm sure. When I bring her to the clubhouse, you'll know why. Plus, it's not like she'll be the only club kid. Jax and Opie can look after her. They're only a couple of years older," Tig rationalized, referring to Clay's nine year old step-son, Jax, and Jax's best friend, Opie, who was the same age, and the Vice President's son.

Clay heaved a sigh. "Alright, Tig, alright. If you think it's what's best."

"Thanks, Clay. I appreciate the support. But can you do me a favor? I got a message from Rosen this morning. I called him last night after I figured out what to do. He's meeting me at the clubhouse in a couple of hours. But I have my bike here. Can you get a prospect to drive a cage down here, then take my bike back? Lennan is too small to be on a Harley," Tig asked, making his way back to Lennan's room.

"Yeah, brother. Can do. He'll be there in fifteen," Clay confirmed before hanging up. Tig stuck his phone back in his pocket before opening Lennan's door and stepping in.

The little girl was sitting on the floor, neatly coloring on a ripped page of notebook paper. A shoe box next to her held an assortment of broken crayon pieces. Tig vowed to himself that as soon as they left, he was going to take her to pick out a real coloring book and crayons. Lennan looked up at him with big eyes and smiled.

"Hi, Mr. Tiggy," she said, before looking down at her drawing again. Tig smiled and sat down on the end of her bed. He watched her for a minute before speaking.

"Lennan. I need to ask you something," he began. Lennan looked up at him curiously, and he continued. "I see how your mommy is with you. And how this house is. And all those horrible men," Tig said, watching as her features turned fearful and she started to shiver. He got off the bed and walked over to her, sitting down on the floor in front of her. He gently took her hand and continued. "That's not how a mommy is supposed to treat her daughter. And that's not how men are supposed to treat little girls. I talked to your mommy. What would you say if I told you I want to be your dad?"

Her eyes grew wide. "You mean you'll marry my mommy?" she asked excitedly, sitting up on her knees.

Tig shook his head. "No, baby girl. I wouldn't marry your mommy. I meant, you would come to live with me. And me and my friends would always protect you. Most of them are men, but some of them women. They all know that little girls are supposed to be loved, not hurt. None of them would ever hurt you, and we'll always protect you."

Lennan's little face got a thoughtful look. "But," she started, slowly. "Would I see my mommy again?"

Tig frowned. "No, sweetheart. You wouldn't."

Lennan thought about it for a minute. She loved her mommy, deep down. Alana was her mommy after all. But Alana never seemed to love Lennan back. She never said nice things to her, and she never took her for ice cream or bought her nice things like all the kids at school said their mommies did for them. Plus, all the men that had terrorized her, and Lennan knew that that wasn't changing anytime soon. She could be loved with Mr. Tiggy and his friends. And he said he would never hurt her. With all the men she had met, Mr. Tiggy was the only one to seem honest. Lennan trusted him, but she didn't trust her mommy.

Hesitantly, she looked at him and asked, "Would I have to call you 'Dad'?"

Tig smiled and shook his head. "Not unless you want to."

Lennan nodded, and stood up, going to the closet. Before she reached it, Tig asked, "Where are you goin'?"

The little girl with the mahogany hair and soulful blue eyes that had, in such a short amount of time, stolen his heart, looked back at him with a small grin. "To pack my stuff, Mr. Tiggy."

* * *

It hadn't taken long for Lennan and Tig to pack the girl's meager possessions. Shortly after, the prospect was there with an Impala, ready to take Tig's bike back to Teller-Morrow.

After stopping at a grocery store and making Lennan pick out a coloring book she liked, along with a jumbo pack of crayons, Tig made his way to the shop. He pulled in as Gemma Teller-Morrow came out of the office, smoking a cigarette and looking at the car curiously. She had heard about the little girl from her husband, Clay, and was wondering what could have been so bad to make Tig act the way he was acting.

Tig stepped out of the car and waved at her. She waved back, tossed her cigarette, and kept walking toward him as he went to the door behind the driver's side and opened it. Lennan jumped out and looked up at him, still beaming because of the crayons and coloring book, both of which she hugged to her chest as if afraid someone was going to take them from her. Tig smiled at her.

"Lennan, I want you to meet someone," he said, his body still blocking Gemma's sight from the small child standing in front of him. "Her name is Gemma, and she's a really nice lady." Lennan nodded hesitantly, and Tig moved out of the way, giving Gemma her first view of the malnourished child.

Gemma's hand flew to her mouth, tears pooling in her eyes as she took in the sight of the little bony girl in front of her. She was known to be a hardcore biker bitch, and she was proud to be the Old Lady to the Sons of Anarchy's President, as well as the widow to the former President and the father of her son, John Teller. But the sight of the little girl before her was threatening to break her.

Noticing the little girl looking at her shyly, Gemma continued to them with a smile on her face, thanking God that her eyes were hidden. She didn't want to frighten the child with her tears. As she reached Lennan and Tig, she squatted down to Lennan's height and held out a manicured hand. "Hi, sweetheart. You must be Lennan. I'm Gemma."

Lennan looked up at Tig, who smiled and nodded. The little girl then sat her coloring book and crayons on the ground, and turned back to Gemma. Both of the adults were surprised when the child hugged Gemma around her neck. Gemma smiled and wrapped her arms around Lennan, looking up at Tig, who was watching with tears in his eyes. Gemma was shocked to the core that this big, bad biker who would kill someone as soon as look at them, was crying over a little girl.

Lennan pulled away, her eyes sparkling and a huge smile on her face. "Hi, Miss Gemma! Mr. Tiggy told me you're a really nice lady. I like your nails. They're pretty," Lennan said. Gemma smiled and thanked her, before looking at Tig.

"She hasn't eaten yet," he told Gemma, noticing that Lennan had picked up her coloring book and was starting to look through it with a smile on her face. "I'm not sure when the last time she ate was," he admitted. Gemma frowned and ran a hand through her hair. Then, she nodded.

"When are you meeting with Rosen?" she asked.

Tig looked at his watch. "Forty-five minutes."

Gemma nodded again, then squatted back down to Lennan. "Lennan, are you hungry?" Lennan nodded her head vigorously. "Okay. How about we go into the Clubhouse and I'll make you something in the kitchen?" Lennan smiled and grabbed her crayons from the ground. She tucked both the coloring book and the crayons under one arm and grabbed Tig's hand with the other.

"Come on, Mr. Tiggy. Let's go get something to eat with Miss Gemma," she said, smiling up at the man. Tig's heart swelled at how much trust this injured little girl had in him. He squeezed her hand and smiled back.

"Sounds like a plan, princess," he said. Gemma smiled at the two of them and led the way to the Clubhouse. Before they entered, Lennan could hear voices. She tensed a little bit, but kept walking, taking comfort in the fact that she had Mr. Tiggy and Miss Gemma with her.

Gemma opened the door and stepped inside, finally seeing what had caused the ruckus. Jax, her blonde haired and blue eyed son was running around with something in his hand, while his best friend, Harry "Opie" Winston chased after him. "Give it back, Jax!" Opie yelled, chasing his friend over to the couches. Jax jumped onto one, out of Opie's reach, as he read from a book.

"'She's so cute, but I don't know if I should tell her. Maybe I should wait a while'," Jax recited, hopping over the cushions of the couch to stay away from Opie's out reached hands. "Seriously, Ope. Bikers don't keep diaries," Jax scoffed.

"We're only nine! We're not bikers yet! And it's not a diary, Jax. It's a journal!" Opie retorted, making a swipe for the book again.

Gemma pulled off her sunglasses, resting them on her head, and placed her hands on her hips. Tig rolled his eyes, but Lennan peeked out from behind SAMCRO's matriarch's legs to see what was going on.

"Jackson Teller! You give that back to Opie right now, young man," Gemma loudly scolded, tapping the toe of her heeled boot on the concrete floor. Jax and Opie stopped what they were doing immediately, with fearful eyes. Jax dropped the book he was holding, and Opie was quick to scoop it up. Jax was the first to get his composure back, and gave his mother a sheepish grin.

"Ma, I was just playing around with him," he claimed. Gemma shook her head and sighed. Her son was at the ornery stage. She only hoped he would be nice to little Lennan. Jax had a habit of trying to imitate the tough exterior of his father and his stepfather, even though he was young. And what Lennan didn't need right now was someone else to be mean to her.

"Jax, Opie. Come over here a second. Tig has someone you need to meet," Gemma said, looking back at Tig. Lennan backed up so that she was against his legs, and grabbed his hand. Tig looked down at her in concern. She didn't look scared, necessarily. Just a little apprehensive.

Jax and Opie wore similar looks of curiosity as they came closer. Gemma stepped aside, revealing Lennan tucked to Tig's side. Jax looked taken aback, but Opie, being the more compassionate of the two, looked at the girl with sadness and a little pity. Both boys could tell that she was smaller than she should have been, and she was pale. What they didn't understand, however, was why she was with Tig.

"Jax. Opie. This is Lennan," Tig said, bringing the girl closer. She gave them both a tentative smile. Both boys smiled back, unsure of what to do. Tig took it as a good sign to continue. "I'm adopting her. That means I'm going to be her dad," he announced. Jax and Opie looked at him shocked. Tig didn't seem like the type of person to want to keep a kid around, especially with how involved in the Club he was. Jax and Opie didn't know the specifics of the Club that both of their fathers worked together to create, but they knew that the men who belonged to it didn't go by the rules. And Tig was the biggest rule breaker of them all.

Opie was the first one to move, slowly walking forward with his hand held out. "Hi. I'm Opie," he said as he reached her. Lennan put her small hand into his and shook it, giving him a genuine smile.

"Hi, Opie," she said softly. She blushed a little. Boys didn't normally talk to her because she was quiet and she didn't wear pretty clothes. But this boy was nice. She looked over his shoulder at the one they called Jax, who was looking at her now. At first, he had been suspicious. Then curious. But now, he was looking at her with sadness. And she noticed in his gaze something she had only seen in Tig's. Protectiveness.

Jax finally made his way over to her and instead of shaking her hand like Opie did, he pulled her into a hug. "Welcome to the family," he said after releasing her. Tig sighed in relief while Gemma beamed with pride. Opie grinned at his best friend, who shrugged.

Lennan's eyes sparkled as she looked at Jax. "Thank you," she said. Jax smiled at her and nodded.

Gemma cleared her throat. "Tig, why don't you take her into the kitchen and see what she wants for lunch. I'm gonna talk to these two for a minute," she said as Tig threw her a knowing look. He led Lennan into the kitchen as Gemma walked over to Jax and Opie.

"I want you two to look after her. She's been through some real bad stuff. Like, really bad stuff, and she isn't going to trust people easily. Her mom isn't a good person. So Tig is going to be taking care of her. If I ever get wind that either of you two are treating her like an outsider, you'll prospect for at least three years, and it'll be miserable," Gemma threatened. She knew that this was the best way to get the boys to do what she asked. They had been talking about joining the Club since the training wheels came off of their bicycles.

Jax and Opie looked at each other with wide eyes before Jax glanced at the kitchen. From his angle he was able to see Tig stand with the refrigerator open, taking out what looked to be chicken and cheese. He looked over at Lennan, standing close by to the crazy eyed man, happily drinking a juice box. Jax looked at his mother again, nodding his head.

"That sounds fair, ma. Don't worry. She's family now. The guys will protect her and so will you. That means we will, too," he told her, with a determined look on his face. Gemma looked at him with a mixture of surprise and pride as he said, "No one's gonna ever hurt her again."

* * *

**Thanks again for reading! Let me know what you think. Some of it may not make sense, like legal wise. But I figured since it's fiction, whatever.**

**And with the Tig randomly thinking to adopt her thing. I was trying to depict the bond he feels with her. And he didn't even care that he just met her. Lennan needed someone in his life, and he was willing to be that someone.**

**I was planning on skipping years, to when she is sixteen in the next chapter. But if anyone wants to know some details about her younger years, let me know. Like I said, I'm new to this and I'm still trying to learn how to even publish it. So please bare with me. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 1: Pour Some Sugar on Me

**Oh my. Thank you all so much! I didn't expect so many reviews, follows and favorites. You guys are awesome!**

**I had this chapter halfway done, so I decided to finish it and post it today. Hopefully you all will enjoy it. Let me know your thoughts. I have an idea about where I want this to go.**

**As you can tell with this chapter, everyone is younger than what they are (hence the AU). You will see a lot of familiar faces throughout, and different situations. I really love Lennan, and I'm trying my best to make her SAMCRO worthy. But this story will be slow at first. I like to build up to things.**

**Thank you all so much, again, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sons of Anarchy. That's the brilliant Kurt Sutter. I do, however, own Lennan, Alana and any other OC I decide use, as well as the story itself.**

"Jackson Teller! You get back here right now!" sixteen year old Lennan Trager shouted, sprinting through the crowd toward her best friend. She was laughing the whole way, her long, mahogany colored hair blowing out behind her. She kept getting glimpses of his cut, which announced "Prospect" on the back.

The two were at Fun Town, the annual carnival for Charming, and were supposed to be meeting Opie and his girlfriend, Donna, in a few minutes. Jax's girlfriend, Tara Knowles, and Lennan didn't get along, so Jax had told Tara that he was doing something for the Club. Tara was annoyed, but she had relented, not knowing that he was lying to her.

Jax and Lennan had arrived at Fun Town an hour earlier and were enjoying the rides and the games when Lennan decided she wanted to get a bag of cotton candy. She had pulled a piece out, holding it away from Jax, who was trying to take a bite. As the sugar melted on her tongue, Jax smirked at her and grabbed the bag, running through the crowd while she chased after him, laughing.

Now, as she sprinted through the throng of people she had known since childhood, Lennan came to a sudden stop at the wall of a ride. Jax could have gone left or right, and she had no idea which direction to pick. Sighing, she started to pull her phone out of the pocket of her light washed jeans. She had every intention of calling him and yelling at him for his thievery. Just as she reached down, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her small waist from behind, making her squeal. She immediately recognized the tattoo on the right forearm and the smell of cigarette smoke and leather.

She started giggling as she smacked his arm. "Jax," she chuckled. "Let me go! Or at least give me back my cotton candy."

Lennan heard Jax's deep laugh in her ear. "I'll give you back the cotton candy, darlin'. But I don't know that I want to let you go," he whispered, making shivers go down her spine. The two flirted constantly, and had done so for years. Lennan had loved him since the day he had punched a boy on the playground for her. It was her first day at Charming Elementary after moving in with her father, Tig. The boy had found out who her dad was and started calling her names, obviously repeating the thoughts of his parents. Jax and Opie, who had the same playtime as she did, even though they were two years older, overheard. Jax beat the boy up while Opie held a crying Lennan.

Since the day Tig brought her to the Clubhouse, then later that day adopted her, Lennan had clung to the comfort and friendship Opie and Jax offered her. Tig had turned into her father, Gemma into her protective and loving Aunt, all the guys in the club treated her like one of their own, and she had been loved and protected. She hadn't seen her mother since that day nine years ago, and Lennan didn't mind. Tig gave her the best life she could ever ask for, and she was grateful for all the friends and family she now had.

"Darlin'. You okay?" Jax asked, walking around her to stand face-to-face. He still kept a hand on her waist. She smiled up at him and nodded. He had a good foot on her, and he never ceased to tease her about it. But tonight, his eyes brimmed with concern. His arm tightened around her, pulling her body flush with his. "Darlin'?"

Lennan blushed and chuckled a little, putting a hand on his chest. "I'm alright, Jax, I promise. I was just thinking about… you know.. That day. And how grateful I am that I have the life I do. If Daddy wouldn't have gotten me out of that house with that whore, I probably would have been dead," she said softly.

Jax shook his head, putting a hand to her cheek. "Lennan, don't think about her. Or about your life before. We all love you. You belong here, where you are. And don't ever forget that," he declared. Lennan could feel the rumble of his voice in his chest, and her heart flipped. The heat coming off of him made her quiver low in her body. They looked at each other intensely for a while, forgetting there were hordes of people milling past them from every direction.

Eventually, Lennan smiled and backed away, but not before she grabbed her cotton candy bag back. The moment was broken and Jax smirked at her. He watched as Lennan danced around him, holding her bag while she let a piece of the candy dissolve on her tongue.

Jax chuckled, watching her more. She was gorgeous and she didn't even know. Long gone were the days of the sickly looking child, and in her place was a beautiful young woman of a healthy weight, golden glowing skin, and shining hair that reached her waist. Her blue eyes were almost the same shade as his, with grey and green flecks in the depths. Her nose was tiny and button-like set above her full lips. Lips he wanted to kiss to this day.

Yeah, he loved Tara. They had an intense relationship. But he was starting to compare her to Lennan in every way. While Lennan was open and trusting of him, Tara was critical and closed off. Lennan loved everything to do with cars and motorcycles, and begged him, Opie, Tig, and any of the other Sons she had grown close with to go for long rides on one of their Harleys. He had to beg Tara to go with him for a ride. Lennan was positive energy while Tara made him feel as if he had to walk on eggshells.

Jax was brought from his thoughts as Lennan stopped skipping around him and grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the tilt-a-whirl. Looking up, Jax recognized the tall frame of his best friend. He grinned and let Lennan lead him over to Opie and his girlfriend.

Donna and Lennan hugged each other. Donna said something and the girls dissolved into giggles while picking at the rest of the cotton candy in the bag. Opie grinned and shook his head, rubbing his hand over the beginning of a beard that grew on his face.

"Hey, brother," Jax said, giving Opie a fist bump before pulling out a cigarette. He watched Donna and Lennan giggle with each other. He turned to Opie with a smile on his face. Lighting his cigarette, Jax noticed the knowing smile his best friend was giving him. "What?"

Opie shook his head, glancing over at the girls who were still talking away. "You look happy, brother, when you're with her. Happier than you look with Tara," Opie said, looking back at Jax. Opie and Donna were both big advocates of Jax and Lennan getting together. Jax just shook his head, hiding his smile behind a puff of smoke. Lately, he had been thinking the same thing, but he didn't dare say it out loud. He was a prospect, and he was starting his senior year of high school. Lennan had two years to go, and Tig would kill him if he fucked up her schooling.

Donna came bouncing up to Opie, Lennan following slowly behind. She gave Jax a small smile. Jax returned it, before looking at Donna as she spoke. "Please, Ope," the tiny girl pleaded, tugging on her boyfriend's hand. "Let's go on the tilt-a-whirl, baby." Opie gave Lennan a pleading look, then let himself be dragged toward the short line. Lennan laughed, then felt the heavy weight of Jax's arm on her shoulders.

"Poor Ope. He's whipped," Jax said. He took a final drag of his cigarette before throwing it on the ground.

Lennan looked up at him with a smirk. "He loves her," she said, looking back to the couple. Opie was leaning down to kiss Donna, who threw her arms around his neck. Lennan felt a pang of jealousy at the love the two had for each other. Loving someone was one thing. Having that love returned was a completely different situation entirely.

Jax shook his head. "Still. He's whipped. He just let her drag him away." He grinned down at the brown haired beauty, whose eyes suddenly began to twinkle mischievously.

"Oh," she began in teasing tone. She dropped her empty cotton candy bag in the trashcan close by, and grabbed Jax's hand. She shivered when his fingers closed over hers, but ignored it. Lennan began to pull him toward the line, where their friends were about to get into a car. "You thought you'd get out of riding it, did you? You're my date by default, blondie. So you're comin' with me." Jax raised his eyebrow, indicating that his mind was obviously wedged down deep in the gutter. Lennan sighed and rolled her pretty blue eyes skyward. "Don't you dare even say anything dirty, Jackson Teller!"

Jax chuckled as Lennan tugged him through the gate and toward the car their friends were in. It was a tight squeeze, but Lennan wedged herself in next to Opie, with Jax on her other side. Jax heaved a dramatic sigh as Lennan reached forward and pulled down the safety bar. He purposely leaned over her and looked at Opie. "Girls," he grumbled. Opie nodded solemnly in understanding.

"Oh, shut up you two," Donna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "It's a damn ride." Lennan began to giggle, and Jax put his arm around her.

She gave him a questioning look. He shrugged, saying, "It's kind of cramped in here. Needed more room." Lennan rolled her eyes and laughed. Jax smiled, loving the sound, and particularly enjoying the fact that he was the one who caused it.

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After two tilt-a-whirls, a house of mirrors, a Ferris Wheel ride, Jax winning her a teddy bear, and the two brothers nearly drowning a clown in the dunk tank, Lennan was ready to go home. She and Jax had said goodbye to Opie and Donna several minutes ago. She was wanting to leave, but Jax had wanted to make another lap to see if they missed anything.

"How do you like your teddy bear," he asked, smiling down at her as they walked past a group of children trying to win a goldfish.

Lennan snuggled the soft stuffed animal to her face and looked up at Jax. "I love him," she said with a smile. He laughed and they continued to walk. When they decided that they hadn't missed anything, they began to make their way to his bike. Half-way there, Jax felt a vibration in his pocket.

He heaved a sigh, noticing Lennan look at him with concern. He shook his head and pulled the buzzing phone out of his pocket. She nodded with understanding. Jax answered it without looking at the caller id. "Yeah?"

"Hey baby. Where are you?" Tara asked on the other end. Jax's eyes grew wide and he ran a hand through his blonde hair. Lennan looking at him with a tilted head, and she made a face when Jax mouthed Tara's name. Thankfully, she left him to deal with it on his own, making her way to his bike as he stood back.

"I'm at the clubhouse. What's up, babe? I told you I was busy."

"You're not at the clubhouse, Jax. I'm here now. Where the fuck are you. No one will tell me a goddamn thing," Tara complained, slamming her fist into the steering wheel of her dad's Cutlass.

Jax groaned inwardly. "I came to Fun Town," he admitted, knowing there was no way she wouldn't find out about it. He was surprised, actually, that it had taken her so long to call and interrogate him. He saw at least three people they were casually acquainted with as he was walking through with Lennan at the beginning of the evening.

"Are you serious?!" Tara exploded. Jax flinched at her anger, and looked over at Lennan, who was making her teddy bear dance on the Harley's seat. He smiled, barely catching Tara's question. "With who?" Her voice was a deadly calm.

Jax took a deep breath before he responded. "Opie. Donna….. Lennan," he mumbled her name and heard Tara heave a frustrated, angry breath.

"Oh," she taunted. "You lie to me telling me you have club business when you go to the carnival with your BFF, his girlfriend, and the SAMCRO princess," she spat the last word. Jax ground his teeth. She was pissing him off.

He started walking toward Lennan, who was holding herself against the sudden coolness of the evening. "Yeah, I did," he said. "All you were wanting to do all _fucking_ weekend was work on looking at med schools and making pros and cons lists. You asked me to come over while you did them. Fun Town is only here for two more days and you haven't gone yet. I'm not going to waste a Friday night watching you research. I went out with my friends. Big fucking deal. Yeah, I lied to you. But it was because you would have told me I couldn't go."

He reached into the saddle bag of his bike and pulled out a SAMCRO hoodie. He handed it to Lennan with a smile. She took it and gave him a sympathetic look. He shrugged as she put the hoodie on. Jax's mouth watered as he caught sight of the strip of tan skin between her black tank top and her light colored jeans.

"Excuse me for wanting to do something with my life other than sit around popping out babies and wearing leather," Tara shouted. Jax held the phone out from his ear. Lennan rolled her eyes and sighed. She was used to Tara's outbursts, along with everyone else associated with the club. "And of course I would have said no! What girlfriend in their right mind would let her boyfriend go out with a biker whore…" Tara started to shout.

Lennan narrowed her eyes, having heard everything. She was about to protest when Jax beat her to it. "Tara. I know you and Lennan never got along. And whatever. That's _your_ shit to deal with. Not mine. But you know how much she means to me. You knew that before we even started dating. And you sure as hell know not to say shit like that to me about her. So how about you fucking call me when you get your head out of your ass and realize that the world does not fucking revolve around you, ight?" He was shouting as he finished. Lennan stood there watching him with wide eyes.

"Jax!" Tara started, thinking to protest.

"No, Tara! You heard me. Get your head out of your ass, then call me." With that, he hung up. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before looking at Lennan.

She looked at him sheepishly, then looked down to the hoodie he had leant her, playing with a string on the sleeve. "I'm sorry if you two were fighting because of me," she said softly. As much as she disliked Tara, she hated when the Jax and Tara fought.

"No, Lennan. Don't be sorry. We fought about me lying to her to come to Fun Town, and about her wanting me to waste a Friday night. And you know I hate it when she talks shit on the life, because she can't even handle it," Jax said. He pulled out his helmet and handed her the spare. Lennan nodded as she took it.

"So, where you wanna go now, darlin'?" Jax asked with a smirk as he mounted the bike. He shivered a little as he felt Lennan's tiny hands grasp his shoulders to balance herself as she got on behind him.

"I dunno," she said, tucking her teddy bear into the neck of the hoodie so he wouldn't fall out in the ride. "We could go to the party at the clubhouse. I'm sure it's bumpin' by now."

Jax tensed a little, debating with himself. Tara had told him she was at the clubhouse. He didn't want to run into her tonight, especially after the fight they had. But the likelihood she stuck around after he chewed her out was slim to none. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders. "Sure," he said, turning on the bike's engine. He smiled as Lennan's arms snaked around his waist.

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Lennan kept her cheek pressed against Jax's cut to keep the suddenly chill air from smacking her in the face. She watched as the tiny town went by them. It was still early enough that people were milling about, some of the shops just closing for the night.

Lennan loved this town and was happy to be a part of it. Her first seven years of life with her mother had been reclusive. She was never allowed to go out and play, and the only interaction she had with people was when she went to kindergarten. Even then, she didn't speak much. None of the other kids wanted to play with the little girl that had dark circles under her eyes and who wore the same dress three days a week. As she got older and realized the extent of the abuse she had suffered with her mother, Lennan was surprised that her teachers didn't report her condition to the police.

Tig had told her that the fact that her mother was a crow eater may have had something to do with it. Some people in the town looked to SAMCRO for protection, and they enjoyed their presence. Others, however, saw everyone affiliated with the Club as trash. Tig theorized that, because they knew Alana was a crow eater, and because Lennan was so young, the teachers may have believed that Lennan belonged to one of the members. And everyone in Charming knew that there wasn't much the Club couldn't get away with.

But once Tig had saved her, she was able to be a normal child. She smiled to herself as she remembered playing with the neighborhood girls until Tig had to threaten to take away her Pokémon videos in order for her to come in at night. Thanks to Tig, she had finally turned into a normal, flourishing child. Tears still stung her eyes when she thought of the big bad Sergeant at Arms finger painting with her in his kitchen, running to her room to comfort her when she woke up screaming from a nightmare, or pushing her on the swing set at the park. No other kids would come near her when he had his cut on, but it didn't bother her. She loved spending time with her new-found father.

Jax started backing himself into a parking spot at the clubhouse, breaking her from her thoughts. She was surprised how far they had gone without her even knowing. Lennan stretched her arms above her head, looking around the crowded lot. Apparently she had been correct in assuming that the party would be full swing.

Jax got off his bike before turning back to help Lennan down. He stopped suddenly, seeing the shimmer of tears on her face in the low light of the lot. "Darlin'. You okay?" he asked, concerned. He wiped away one of the tear tracks with his finger, before frowning at her.

Lennan gave a watery chuckle before grabbing his hand and hopping off of the bike. "I'm fine, blondie. The ride just made my eyes water." She didn't like lying to him, but she also didn't want him to know that she had been strolling down memory lane, once again.

They stowed their helmets, the hoodie Lennan was wearing, and her teddy bear (who she had so aptly named Harley) away in his saddlebags and he just nodded, seeming to accept her excuse. Jax threw an arm over her shoulders and led her toward the mass of people milling near the door and the boxing ring outside. It looked as if there were several charters there, celebrating something.

Lennan knew the basics of what the Club did, but she knew better than to ask for details. And honestly, she really didn't care. All the men in the Club may have been criminals, but they were good men to her. They just didn't make their money in normal ways. She sneered as she thought of the word 'normal', wondering who in the world could judge someone else's version of it.

Jax mumbled something in her ear about going to talk to Clay real quick, and a second later, the weight of his arm was gone, leaving her alone in the middle of a crowd full of leather, liquor and smoke. She didn't mind, though. This was her home.

She made her way through the crowd, saying the occasional hello to patched members she knew from different charters. Occasionally, a crow eater would glare at her, or say something under their breath. But she was friendly with others, who came up to hug her and ask if she wanted a drink. Each time, she politely declined, keeping her eyes on her goal: the door to the clubhouse.

After about five full minutes of wading through the crowd, she heaved open the door with a sigh of relief. Inside, the clubhouse was less crowded with bodies, but just as full of smoke and the smells of leather, whiskey, and something Lennan cared not to identify. She cringed when she saw her Uncle Bobby getting a lap dance in the corner by an obviously intoxicated and scantily clad ebony beauty.

"Princess!"

Lennan whipped around, a smile on her face as she heard her father shout to her. She made her way over to him, and he drew her into a tight hug. She smelled liquor on him, and knew that he was only a shot or two away from falling asleep on top of the bar, but she embraced him anyway.

"Hi, daddy," she said, her voice muffled. He released her and looked at her with his unsteady eyes.

Shaking his head and swaying a little, he frowned down at her. "Now, baby girl. You know I don't like you coming around when there's a party like this," he slurred. He made a show of looking around them, before bending down to whisper, "There's too many bad influences here."

Lennan heaved an unladylike snort and smiled at her dad. "Don't worry. You know I don't give into peer pressure."

"Right," Tig laughed. "Explain that time you stole Piney's bottle of tequila, chugged it, then spun around the stripper pole to "Pour Some Sugar on Me". You puked for a day and a half."

"Hey!" Lennan protested. "That was on a dare! Well. The drinking the rest of the bottle part was. You can blame Jax and Ope for that."

"Blame me and I will deny it till my dying breath." Lennan and Tig saw Jax walk up with a cigarette between his smirking lips. He lit it with a quick flick of his zippo.

Now it was Tig's turn to roll his eyes. "Don't you let my little girl get hurt," he said, sudden sobriety peeking through his drunken haze. Tig could deal with a lot. But one thing he didn't tolerate was the possibility of Lennan getting hurt, maimed, arrested, or what have you. She was his pride and joy and he expected her to be respected by anyone and everyone within the walls of the clubhouse.

Jax nodded, all seriousness. Lennan sighed, stood on her tiptoes to kiss her dad on the cheek, and walked over to the bar. After asking the crow eater, one of the nicer ones, behind the bar for a coke, she sat on her stool and watched the party progress.

Happy, a patch from the Tacoma charter and one of her dad's closest friends, winked and gave her a half smile when he had to drag her father back toward the dorm rooms so he could sleep off the liquor he had consumed. She shook her head and chuckled. Piney, who had been sitting next to her and making small talk, kissed her on the forehead before grabbing the closest crow eater and leaving to his bike.

As the hours went on, and the crowd thinned, Lennan began yawning. Around two in the morning, she was trying to decide whether or not to go to her father's dorm room, when a very drunken Jax stumbled up to her. He braced himself on her knees, trying to catch his breath, as Lennan watched him with a raised eyebrow.

"Had a little too much to drink there, Jax?" she asked him when his breathing had steadied enough for him to look up at her. His blue eyes were glazed from the alcohol, and he reeked of cigarette smoke and weed.

"Nah, darlin'," he drawled, swaying like a cobra. Lennan smirked at him, before telling him to lean against the bar. There were a few people milling about. Even so, she was the only sober one, and didn't want someone to drunkenly bump into him. A drunk Jax was a fighting Jax, and she didn't want to try to break up a bar brawl between bikers.

As he started to push himself off, she put her hands on his chest, simply saying, "Wait here." Making her way to the kitchen, she found a new loaf of bread, thanking God that Gemma stocked the clubhouse with food every week. Grabbing a few slices and a bottle of Gatorade from the fridge, she turned and made her way back to Jax, only to see a young crow eater running a long, red, talon-like nail down his cut.

Lennan narrowed her eyes and quickened her pace, making it to the pair just in time to hear the tail end of what the crow eater was saying. "… I can make your night so much better, baby," the bottle blonde purred to him, nipping at his ear.

Jax's eyes were so glazed over at this point, Lennan wouldn't have been surprised if he was sleeping with them open. Obviously, the weed and the alcohol were taking full effect, and she needed to get him to his dorm room before he either fell over, or did something with this bimbo crow eater that he would regret in the morning.

"Sorry, sweetheart. He's booked for the night. He has a hot date with a bottle of Gatorade, some Tylenol and his pillow. Try again next week." Lennan's voice was sugary sweet, but held an edge that made the crow eater's eyes narrow.

"And who the hell are you?" the girl said, putting one hand on her hip, and leaving the other on Jax's cut. Lennan sighed and rolled her eyes, praying that Jax would come with her without a fight.

"I'm the one that's here to tell you to take your skanky ass home. He's not doing anything with anyone tonight," Lennan said firmly. Her voice seemed to snap Jax out of his haze, and he looked at her with a smile.

"Hey, Lennan," he slurred, not even noticing the crow eater trying to sink her claws into him. He clumsily slung and arm out and wrapped it around Lennan's waist, pulling her close. Lennan's heartbeat started to race.

"Excuse me," the crow eater said, getting huffy. She stood in front of Jax, both hands on her hips. "I was here first, and I was trying to tell you everything I could do to make your night better," she whined.

Jax looked at the crow eater slowly, trying to focus his eyes on her. When he couldn't, he waved his hand at her. "Nah. Go home. I'm not interested."

The crow eater's eyes went wide, then narrowed at Lennan, who was still in Jax's hold. "Are you kidding me. You were ready for it until this little bitch.." she started, before Jax's eyes snapped to her.

"I said go!" he shouted. All the people that were still hanging around jumped and looked at him. Lennan put a hand on his chest, trying to calm his rage. The crow eater gave her one last glare, then stormed out of the room.

Jax looked down at Lennan, still glassy eyed. "Sorry about that," he mumbled, beginning to sway. Lennan held him up as best as she could.

"Jax," she said. His glassy eyes, which had travelled down to her breasts, snapped back to hers. "I'm gonna take you to your dorm room. But I can't carry you. You're gonna have to help me, alright?" Jax nodded, and after grabbing the bread and the Gatorade off of the bar, they slowly made their way down the hall. Lennan was able to get his keys out of his pocket and swung the door open.

Jax stumbled to the bed, falling facedown. Lennan shook her head, closing the door behind her. "Jax," she said, making her way over to him. "I'm gonna need you to take off your shoes and stuff."

Jax groaned and rolled over, slipping his shoes off and slinging them away from him without even raising his head. Lennan set down the bread and Gatorade and walked over to the bed. Sighing, she began to unbuckle Jax's belt.

This roused him enough to raise his head and look at her with a grin. "I knew you wanted me," he teased. Lennan chuckled and rolled her eyes, hoping that he was too intoxicated to notice her blush.

"Don't get any ideas, big boy," she said, finishing with the belt then starting with the button and zipper to his pants. "You would kill me in the morning if you knew I made you sleep in your clothes. And since you're not being very helpful right now, I'm the one that has to undress you."

Jax smiled at her, and she fell off his lap onto the bed as he stood up. He shrugged out of his cut, placing it carefully over his desk chair. He then peeled off his shirt, causing Lennan's eyes to grow wide. His perfect skin, plus the six pack, made her want to drool. She shook her head and blushed, looking away. She heard Jax chuckle and the whoosh of his pants as he dropped them onto the floor.

Glancing up, she saw him walking toward her. Her eyes widened again when she noticed the tell-tale bulge in his boxers. Lennan looked up at Jax's eyes, her blush deepening when she noticed the fire in them.

Jax wasted no time at all, getting onto the bed and straddling Lennan's small legs. "Hey," he said, smiling.

Lennan nervously chuckled. "Hey, Jax. Uh.. You should probably eat some bread. I… uh.. I brought some from the kitchen. Maybe you should take a couple of Tylenol…" she started, unable to finish with Jax let out a growl and pinned her to the bed. Her heart started beating in overtime, fearful for a second at the lust blazing in his eyes.

Eyes that suddenly softened as he took in her beautiful face. Her eyes, that little nose, and those lips he had just decided he was finally, after all these years, going to taste. Lennan noticed his change, and relaxed a little, wondering what he was doing.

Slowly, Jax lowered his mouth to hers. She gasped, opening up her mouth a little in surprise, and he took advantage by sliding his warm tongue into the opening. He tasted like whiskey and smoke, while she of cinnamon. Both of their heads spun, and she let out a small moan as his large hand found a spot on her hip that drove her crazy.

They kissed like that for a moment, the world spinning around them, until Jax pulled away and stared at her in awe. Lennan looked up at him with flushed cheeks and lips swollen from their kiss, and all Jax wanted to do was strip her and take her right then and there.

Lennan was bombarded with emotions. She was confused, elated, and maybe a little frightened. Jax had never reacted to her that way, and she didn't know what to make of it. Looking up at him now, and seeing the smile on his lips and the slightly less glazed look in his eye, she was hoping that she wouldn't be a drunken mistake for him.

She inhaled quickly as Jax slowly made his way down, going in for another kiss. She closed her eyes in anticipation, wanting to feel his lips against hers again. After several seconds of waiting, she cracked open an eyelid, only to find him staring at her with a slightly green tinge to his skin.

Lennan's eyes flew open, and she scrambled from underneath him, grabbing his arm and yanking him into the bathroom. He fell to his knees in front of the toilet just in time for him to empty his stomach into the porcelain bowl. Lennan closed her eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of her nose, silently scolding herself for what she just allowed to happen.

Finding a clean washcloth, she wet it in the sink before placing it on the back of the neck of the still retching Jax. As she started to walk away, his hand shot out and grabbed hers. She saw his head shake almost imperceptibly. So, instead of leaving, she sat behind him, laying her face on his bare back while she rubbed it, hoping to soothe him.

After almost ten minutes of his vomiting and shaking, Jax finally flushed the toilet, standing up slowly. He stumbled to the sink and brushed his teeth. Lennan handed him a couple of Tylenol, that he thankfully swallowed with a handful of water, before she helped him back out to the bed.

"Sit down, Jax," Lennan said softly, before helping him lean back against the pillows. She pulled the covers over him. Going to the desk for the long-forgotten bread and Gatorade, she came back and sat next to him. She was able to get him to eat a couple of pieces and drink half of the Gatorade before he called it quits. Setting the excess on the side table, she smoothed back his hair and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Try to get some sleep," she whispered as his eyes began to drift closed.

Jax took her hand and pulled it to his chest. "Don't leave me," he whispered back. Lennan nodded, and crawled into bed next to him, turning her back to him. Jax snuggled closer and sighed into her hair.

"I'm sorry I ruined the moment," he mumbled into the back of her head. His arm snaked around to her front and he pulled her flush against his body. Lennan's heart went into overdrive again.

"Don't worry, Jax. Just go to sleep," she soothed. She felt him nod, and minutes later, his slow, even breathing told her that he had listened.

She wasn't worried about what he would think when he woke up in the morning to find her in his bed. They had shared a bed many times before, so it was nothing new to them. What worried Lennan was how he would react to finding her in his bed the morning after he kissed her.

This was the first kiss they had shared. This was the first time Lennan would fall asleep with Jackson Teller's erection pressed against her back. This wasn't, however, the first time that Lennan had fallen asleep next to Jax with a fire smoldering deep inside her, thanks to her thoughts and cravings for him.

Lennan heaved a sigh and closed her eyes, feeling the weight of his arm draped over her hip and his warm breath on the back of her neck. She prayed she would get at least a little bit of sleep before she had to get back to reality.

**Thank you for reading. I just want to apologize to all the Tara lovers out there.**

**I'm not a huge fan of her. I never felt that she and Jax were right for one another, which is one of the reasons why I love Jax/OC stories so much. Hopefully I didn't turn anyone away with my depiction of her.**

**I think one of the hardest things to do in writing is get the chemistry between two people right, and unfortunately, I think that's one of the things I have the toughest time with. So as the ball gets rolling, I hope you guys stick with me.**

**I'm thinking about having at least one more update this week, then I'll probably do one to two a week after that. This story has no end in sight, so we're gonna be discovering what happens together. If you have any suggestions or request, please let me know.**

**Have a great day, y'all!**


	3. Chapter 2: My Kind of Crazy

**I'm so happy so many of you like this! It's safe to say I've become obsessed with this story. I just edited this chapter, and I have another one written that I'm editing, and yet another in the works. I guess it just goes to show that when the inspiration hits, you just can't stop it. I think I'm just going to share a chapter here and there when it's done, instead of putting it on a schedule. I'm impatient, and I don't think I should make you guys wait if it's already done and sitting here. Lol**

**To the guest who doesn't like this because it isn't Jax/Tara. If that's so, definitely don't read this chapter. But I'd like to say, that's the beautiful thing about websites like this. Even though my story may not be the one for you, there are hundreds of Jax/Tara combos out there. I'm sure you'll find the story for you.**

**Isabellina Lahey: Welcome to the fandom! I'm happy that you chose my story as one of your first ones to read. There are so, so many wonderful ones on this site. I know you'll find a ton to keep you entertained. And to answer your question: Yes! Her name is pronounced "Lennon", like John Lennon. I just thought it would go so well for her character**

**To everyone else who has commented, favorited, and followed, thank you so much! I'm so happy that people are enjoying this story. Your kind words keep me going.**

**Sorry for the super long Author's note! Enjoy**!

* * *

Early morning sunlight filtered in through the thin curtains of the dorm room, smacking Jax in the face. He groaned and squeezed his eyes tighter before burrowing further into the warmth of his bed. He didn't realize that he wasn't alone until his nose connected with a lock of lavender and mint scented hair.

Jax pried open his eyes, trying to ignore the slight headache that pounded at his temples and acid churning in his stomach. As he silently vowed to himself never to drink again, he looked to his right. He was greeted by a waterfall of shining brown hair. Jax used a ringed hand to push some aside, revealing a face he adored.

Lennan was on her back, facing away from him. Her mouth was slightly parted and he could hear her gentle breathing. She had one arm resting over her stomach, the other one flung over her head, several strands of long hair intertwined with her fingers. The sight of her peaceful face and her early morning beauty made Jax's breath catch in his throat.

He smiled and leaned back, slightly sitting up against his pillows. Running a hand over his face, the night before came back to him in a flash. The drinking and the weed, the crow eater, him undressing, puking, and Lennan taking care of him. But the thing that stood out the most in his mind was the kiss.

Jax had been with quite a few women due to his involvement with the Club. But no one had ever intoxicated him the way Lennan did, especially from only a kiss. Granted, he had been three sheets to the wind. But it had been so much more than that. He knew that if he would have been stone-cold sober, he still would have felt the world spin.

Jax admitted to himself that whenever he was around Lennan and her loving, comforting presence, he forgot all the things he worried about. He forgot the fact that he was a Prospect, that he didn't know what to do with Tara, how much he missed his dad. Everything seemed to fade away with her.

He ran his hand through his hair and glanced at Lennan as she flipped to her stomach. She was facing him now, her hair flowing down her back and splayed over her pillow, blanketing her in a mermaid-like fashion. She breathed out a little moan that did something to Jax low in his belly, and he watched as she scrunched her nose a couple of times, finally raising a tiny hand to scratch it.

Jax silently chuckled, watching as she settled down again. She heaved a little sigh. He looked at the clock on the dresser, seeing how early it was. Looking back down at the peaceful beauty next to him, he decided to lay back down for a while.

Jax scooted down and put his head on his pillow, gently pulling her to him, her head laying in the crook of his neck. One of her hands pressed to his side while the other was balled into a little fist under her chin. She sighed contentedly, nuzzling into his neck further. Jax smiled and kissed the top of her head before falling back into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Lennan jolted awake to someone pounding on the door. She was in a cocoon of warmth, the blankets over her while Jax held her tightly. She started to shift, wondering when he had wrapped himself around her like that, when the pounding vibrated through the room again.

She felt Jax wake up and felt his chest rumble as he groaned. "What?" he yelled as the pounding rang out again. Lennan jumped a little, pulling back to look at him with wide eyes and a smirk. He smiled down at her sheepishly. "Sorry, darlin'," he said, giving her a quick squeeze and a kiss on the forehead before standing up.

Lennan looked at him for a moment, taking in his tanned, built body, astounded that _that_ had been holding her so closely when she woke up. She shook the thought from her head before pulling herself up out of the bed. Straightening her clothes, Lennan began working her long hair into a braid as Jax jerked on the jeans he had discarded the night before. He buttoned them as he swaggered to the door, yanking it open as the knock sounded again.

"Jacky boy," Chibs said, his accent thick with fatigue. It was obvious that he had partied hard the night before, and he was now regretting it. "Ye best get yer ass outside. Tara's brewing up a shit storm, and Gemma ain't too happy," he announced, looking over Jax's shoulder at Lennan, who was pulling on a wrinkled SAMCRO sweatshirt she had found in one of the dresser drawers. Chibs wasn't even phased, and gave her a bright smile as she made eye contact with him. "Mornin', lass. There's coffee in the kitchen if yer feelin' the need for a wake-me-up."

"Thank you, Chibby," Lennan smiled. Chibs gave her a nod before making his way down the hallway toward the kitchen. Jax groaned and ran his hand through his hair. Picking up his shirt from the night before, he threw it on before pulling on his cut. He looked at Lennan, who was standing there looking as if she wanted to say something.

Jax walked up to her, pulling her to him. "What, darlin'?" he mumbled, pinching her long braid between two of his fingers and rubbing it gently. She looked up at him, and he could tell she was slightly embarrassed.

"Look, Jax. About last night," she began. Jax knew that she was feeling unsure about herself. He could see it in her expressive eyes.

Lennan opened her mouth to continue, but Jax silenced her by bringing his lips down to hers. Her eyes grew wide for a moment, but then she melted into his kiss, bringing her arms around his neck while he pulled her as close to him as he could. He bit her bottom lip lightly, sucking on it just enough to make her whimper, before soothing it with his tongue.

He pulled back and gazed down at her. Lennan had a dazed expression about her and a happy smile on her face. "Last night was not a drunken mistake for me, babe. I knew what I was doing, just like I do now. It's something we need to talk about," he promised, reluctantly pulling away from her. She sighed and nodded, following him as he took her hand and led her to the door.

Jax paused to lock it behind them. He turned back to her, grasping her hand again, and they made their way into the main room of the clubhouse. It was an absolute wreck. Bobby was asleep on the pool table with the pretty crow eater Lennan had seen giving him a lap dance the night before. Her chest was out for everyone to see, and Jax watched with amusement as Lennan blushed and looked away. Happy was on top of the bar, curled in a ball and snoring. Several crow eaters littered the couches, as well as patches from various charters. It had definitely been a good party.

Lennan looked up when she heard the clubhouse door slam open and high heels clicking across the floor. From the way the sleeping figures acted, one would think each click was a gunshot. Groans, moans and whimpers rang throughout as Gemma Teller-Morrow made a beeline for her son. And boy, was she mad.

The Queen of Charming paused for a second when she saw her son and her favorite girl holding hands, but filed it away for later examination. There were more important things to worry about right now. Turning her attention to the blue eyed blonde in front of her, Gemma put a hand on her cocked hip.

"Jackson," she snapped, pointing a manicured fingernail at the door she had just entered. "Your girlfriend is out in the parking lot raising hell because you never called her back." Gemma placed a hand on her forehead. "Go out there and calm her down. The garage is open until three today for pickups. We don't need her scaring the customers, dammit!"

Jax heaved a deep sigh, then nodded at her. "Got it, Ma. You don't have to worry," he stated. He released Lennan's hand and kissed her forehead before pecking his mom on the cheek and swaggering to the door. Lennan rolled her eyes at his back, then risked a glance at Gemma, who was looking at her curiously.

"Don't ask," Lennan stated. Gemma grinned and held up her hands in defense. They made their way into the kitchen, where Chibs was leaning against the counter and sipping a cup of coffee. He made a contented sound before smiling at them.

"Mornin' again, Gemma. And hello again there, lass," he chuckled, throwing the young girl a wink. Lennan's eyes went wide and Gemma looked at Chibs curiously.

The matriarch went to the coffee pot, pouring two cups. "Again?" she asked, handing one to Lennan, who gratefully took it. Gemma turned to rest against the counter. She looked from a smirking Chibs to Lennan, who was busying herself by putting creamer in her cup, making it much sweeter than she usually did. Anything to keep from looking into the assessing eyes of Gemma Teller-Morrow.

"Aye," Chibs answered. He attempted to cover his chuckle with a cough before setting his coffee cup in the sink. "Little lass here was in with Jacky boy when I got him about Tara. Looked a bit like she was just wakin' up, too. Now, if you two lovely ladies don't mind. I'm going to go pick up some breakfast," Chibs said, before waltzing over and kissing Lennan's head then heading out into the clubhouse.

"Gee, thanks," she muttered to him as he passed. She could hear him laughing behind her as he exited the room. Sighing, she turned to Gemma who was giving her an expectant look. Lennan shrugged and took a sip of her coffee.

"You used protection, right?" Gemma casually asked, taking a sip of her own drink.

Lennan choked on her coffee. Looking at Gemma with watering eyes, she shook her head. "No," she croaked. Gemma's eyes grew wide and Lennan shook her head again. "No, we didn't do that. He was drunk and maybe a little high. I took him to his dorm room and took care of him. He got sick, then I made him eat bread and drink something. Then he went to sleep," she rushed to explain, waving her hand back and forth in front of her frantically.

Gemma narrowed her eyes and made a noise in her throat. "Are you sure, baby? Because you're acting suspicious," she said smoothly, hiding her smirk by taking another sip.

Lennan sighed, looking at her coffee cup. She ran a finger around the rim before saying, "Well… He did kiss me... Twice." She looked up at Gemma, only see the older woman grinning from ear to ear.

Gemma put her cup in the sink and pulled Lennan into a hug. "I knew it was going to happen! Oh, I'm so happy for you! All he has to do now is get rid of that lunatic gash outside, and everything will be perfect."

Lennan pulled away and shook her head. "There's nothing to be happy about, Gem. It was just a kiss. Nothing more. He's still with Tara," she said, putting her cup on the counter, debating whether or not to have a refill.

Gemma put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Don't think that way, sweetheart. You and Jax were made for each other. I knew that from the day I met you. When he embraced you as soon as he met you, I knew it was fate. He'll get his head on straight soon. You'll see."

Lennan shrugged. Gemma smiled and hugged her again before leaving, her heels sending another wave of gunshot sounds that echoed in the clubhouse. Lennan watched her go, wondering if it was wise to hope for the best.

* * *

Jax made his way out of the clubhouse, his lips still tingling from the kiss he had just shared with Lennan. He resisted the urge to touch them, and dug out a cigarette instead. Pulling it to his mouth, he lit it and slowly made his way toward his furious and infuriating girlfriend.

Even at this distance, Jax could tell Tara was mad. Her body language radiated anger. From her tense shoulders to her angry face, Jax could tell that this was going to go badly, and he dreaded each and every step he took toward her. All he wanted to do was go for a ride to clear his head. Or maybe back bed, preferably with Lennan. He had enjoyed holding her while he slept. Smiling as he remembered waking up to her wide and wondering blue eyes, he almost turned back to steal one more kiss. Instead, he shook his head and continued his slow trek across the lot.

Tara was angrily pacing in front of her dad's Cutlass that was parked next to the garage. One of the bays was open, and Jax heard a couple of mechanics speaking. It was a day for pickups, but Gemma always had at least two of the guys there to answer technical questions for customers or in case something went wrong. Jax squinted, looking into shaded garage, trying to see who was on hand. He sighed when it was too dark for him to tell, and finished his last couple of strides toward his impending argument.

He took a long drag of his cigarette when he reached Tara. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she was glaring daggers at him. She stared at him in silence while he finished his smoke, tossing it away before looking at her again.

"Why didn't you call me back, Jackson?" she asked in a low voice. Jax ran a hand up his face and through his hair before pinching the bridge of his nose. He shoulda lit a joint instead of a cigarette before coming out here.

Looking at her, he finally said, "I told you to call me when you got your head out of your ass, remember? I never told you I would call you. I came back here last night, partied, and then crashed," he explained, leaving out a few major details. He didn't think she would react well to knowing he had kissed Lennan. Not that he really gave a shit at the moment.

Tara narrowed her eyes, knowing that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but not knowing exactly what he was hiding. "Who was with you?" she finally asked, placing a hand on her hip. Jax smirked, thinking how Gemma-like the action was. She would hate to know that.

Finally, he sighed and shook his head. "Look, Tara. I'm hungover, and I'm hungry. My head hurts. I don't want to fight." He ran a ringed finger over his face, silently pleading with her to just drop it and go home. He was sick of dealing with this shit day-in and day-out.

"Who were you with, Jackson. It's a simple goddamn question."

Jax glared at her before spreading his arms wide, his tolerance level reached. "I was with Lennan, ight?" he shouted, causing the mechanics that were in the garage to poke their heads out and stare. Tara's eyes widened.

"Did you fuck her?" she growled.

Jax shook his head and chuckled. Tara looked as if she was ready to hit him. "No," he finally responded. "I got sick. She was there taking care of me. She rubbed my back while I was puking up whiskey. She made sure I took medicine and drank Gatorade. She was there for me, Tara."

Tara scowled, throwing her hands up. "Oh, so the little princess was there to make sure you were okay. How sweet. While I'm crying over your ass at home, you're here drinking and having a good time with her."

Jax glared at her. "Actually, she was sober. Everyone else was drunk. She helped me to bed because I couldn't even stand on my own. So, technically, I didn't drink with her." Tara huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

They both turned when they heard the clicking of heels and saw his mother making her way from the clubhouse back to the office. She looked over at the pair with a smirk on her face. She knew something, that's for sure. Tara glared at the matriarch as she made her way across the lot.

Hearing the office door slam, Jax turned back to Tara. "Listen, Tara. Maybe we need some space. You're up my ass about everything lately, and we can never seem to agree on anything. Maybe we just need distance from each other for a while." As soon as the words left his mouth, Jax felt as if a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders.

Tara, however, took a step back, her face a mixture between rage and hurt. "It's because of her, isn't it?" she accused. Jax gave her a look and shook his head. "Admit it. It's because of that little whore, isn't it!"

"How many goddamn times do I have to tell you not to call her a whore!" he snapped. But he couldn't give her an answer, because he couldn't be honest. He wanted to believe that he had come to this decision on his own, but he knew, deep down, that some part of it had to do with his desire for Lennan. The fact that he had gone through two years of emotional abuse with the girl standing in front of him was just the icing on the cake.

Tara gave an angry laugh. "Well. Excuse me. But if you're not going to give me a straight answer, maybe she will," she declared, storming past him toward the clubhouse.

Jax looked up at the sky, cursing the powers that be for his crazy life. He'd rather get shot at than deal with crazy female mood swings. Heaving a soul-deep sigh, he trotted to Tara, who was more than halfway to the door. "Tara, wait…" he started, putting a hand on her arm.

Suddenly, her fist connected with his jaw. While it wasn't very painful, he stopped in his tracks, stunned that she had the audacity to strike him at his clubhouse. At his family's business. She had never hit him before. The only thing she would do was occasionally throw something at his head. He was genuinely surprised that she had the balls to actually hit him.

Jax looked up again, fully intent on banning her ass from the property, only to see her storm through the door of the clubhouse. "Shit!" he exclaimed. He ran at full speed to the door, hoping to God that he'd make it in time to keep an all-out brawl from starting.

* * *

Lennan had just put on a new pot of coffee for the Club members and crow eaters that were finally waking up. Refilling her cup and pouring a second one, she walked over to the bar and poked Happy. He jerked awake, hand flying toward the gun on his hip before he realized where he was.

Chuckling, Lennan held out the extra cup of coffee she had made. "Cool it, cowboy. I come bearing coffee." Happy rolled his dark eyes at her before sitting up and taking the steaming cup.

"Thanks, little girl," he growled, ruffling her hair.

She scowled, trying to rub it back in place as she walked over to a table. "You're welcome." She waved at Bobby, who was just starting to sit up. He had a thong stuck to the whiskers of his beard, and his face was smudged with lipstick. He waved back a little before his eyes went wide and he hopped off the pool table. Shooting toward the trashcan by the wall, he barely made it to his knees in front of it before the sounds of gagging were heard.

Lennan cringed a little and looked away. She had just placed her coffee on the table when the clubhouse door banged open. Looking up, she expecting to see either Gemma or a pissed off Jax. She was shocked to find Tara storming in. The older girl's dark gaze locked on Lennan's confused one and she stalked over to the table.

"Uh, hi Tara," Lennan offered, thinking it best not to sit down. She was short enough as it was. She didn't need for Tara to have an extra advantage. She picked up her cup and took a slow sip of her cooling coffee as Tara glared at her.

"Don't you 'hi' me, you little whore," Tara hissed. Happy, sensing trouble, hopped off of the counter and slowly made his way within reaching distance of the two. He shot a glare at Jax, who had just entered the clubhouse. Jax looked at him with a grimace.

Lennan snorted into her coffee, putting the cup down. "Whore? Obviously you know something about me that even I don't. Please, sweetheart. Enlighten me on my whore-like behavior," she laughed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Of course," Tara scoffed. "You spend the night with my boyfriend, and you don't know how you're a whore." She eyed her up, taking in the wrinkled SAMCRO hoodie Lennan wore along with the messy side braid.

Lennan raised an eyebrow and looked over Tara's shoulder at Jax, who was giving her an apologetic look. Looking back at the angry girl, Lennan said, "Listen, Tara. I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but you're wrong. I did nothing last night that would classify me as a whore."

By now, a crowd had gathered, watching the altercation. Bobby, who had finally noticed the underwear hanging from his face and removed it, had his cellphone out and was typing away, probably texting either Gemma or Tig. Most likely both. "She's right. She didn't do a damn thing," came Jax's voice. All eyes turned to him as he moved to stand between Tara and Lennan. The latter noticed a slightly budding bruise on the side of his face.

Lennan looked at him questioningly, and he shook his head. "She hit me," he muttered. Lennan narrowed her eyes at Tara, who was scowling right back.

Tara shook her head. "Oh, and now you two are whispering at each other. How fucking adorable," she yelled, taking a step forward. Jax reached a hand back and laid it against Lennan's stomach. She shivered, but they both chose to ignore it.

Lennan shrugged Jax off and took a step forward, bringing the front of her left shoulder to the back of his right. "No," she said, deadly calm. "What he just said to me can probably be announced. Do you really think it's a good idea to fucking hit him. Here, at the clubhouse and a place of business. Prospect or not, he's still Gemma Teller's son, and when she finds out, she'll want your head on a platter," she taunted. All eyes flew to Jax, who put a hand on his forehead and groaned.

Tara paled slightly, but said, "I'm not afraid. It's between me and him." She smirked at Lennan. "An old man with his old lady. You wouldn't know what that's like, though, would you?"

Jax was reaching his limit, and was about to put a stop to it until he felt Lennan slide past him. She stalked up to Tara, standing toe-to-toe, smirking up at her. Tara looked surprised at first, but then reigned it in, opting for smug instead.

Lennan gave a low chuckle. She looked around at the crowd, her gaze locking on the scattered crow eaters. A couple of them looked entertained, enjoying the opportunity to see someone tell the uppity bitch how it was. The remaining few were cheering for the other team, thinking Lennan was going to get her ass handed to her, either by Tara or by Jax for publicly humiliating his old lady.

She gave a full on laugh, turning back to Tara's hate filled eyes. She was so focused on her target that she missed the entrance of both her father, who was being shushed and held back by Happy, and Gemma, who was leaning her hip against the bar and watching with interest.

Lennan smiled sweetly at Tara before saying, "You don't know what being an old lady means, bitch. And if you think that's what you are, you're sadly mistaken. You may think that being in a relationship with Jax makes you one, but you're wrong. The shit you do to him. The way you treat him. Your suspicion, your whining and bitching, and your attempts to rip in away from the Club he grew up in. If you were a real old lady, you'd be encouraging him, loving him no matter what, and being the calm in his storm of a fucking life." She turn to Jax, looking at him sadly, hating that he was lacking the partnership he deserved. Jax looked at her, his eyes filled with pride and admiration. Turning back to Tara, Lennan said, "Honey, you're crazy. And honestly, all you are is a glorified crow eater."

Tara's face contorted in rage, while in the back, Gemma smirked. Lennan gave one last look at Tara, saying, "Do us all a favor and get the hell out of here. You're more trouble than you're worth." She bumped her shoulder against Tara's and began to make her way to the door, intending on going into the office to collect herself.

"You bitch!" Tara shouted, and Lennan felt her long braid being sharply tugged behind her. She hissed in a breath as she felt a hand connect with her face, impressed despite it all that Tara could move so quickly. Tig's shout behind them melted into Jax's scream for someone to stop them.

Tara moved to slap her again, but Lennan was quicker. Closing her fist, she landed a solid right hook to Tara's cheek, smiling in satisfaction as the girl's head snapped to the side. Tara looked at her, furious, and managed to hit her back. Lennan tasted blood, figuring that she now had a split lip.

There was a shuffling sound behind her, and Lennan felt a familiar set of strong arms wrap around her waist. The smell of leather and cigarette smoke wound around her. "Lennan," Jax said softly. "Come on, sweetheart. This isn't worth it."

Kozik, a member from Tacoma, had a struggling Tara by the waist. "Get your hands off of her, Jax!" she was screaming, fighting to get out of his hold. Her eyes were crazy, her arms and legs flailing. She looked insane, and Lennan felt a pang of pity. Pity which evaporated when Tara shouted, "Jackson! Let go of that whore!"

Lennan shrugged Jax off at the same time Tara elbowed Kozik in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He released his hold on her and she shot toward Lennan, whose fist flew out faster than anyone, including herself, expected. A sickening crunch rang throughout the room as Lennan's fist connected with Tara's nose. There was a heartbeat of dead silence, then a gush of blood and a wail from Tara, who fell to the ground holding her face.

Lennan's fist throbbed, but she paid it no attention as she watched Tara cry in the floor in front of her. The crow eaters were staring, dumbfounded, while Tig and Happy started snickering. Jax wound his arm around Lennan's waist, putting a hand on her chin, turning her head so that he could see her full face. He frowned as he saw her lip.

Heels clicked and everyone turned to the Queen, who walked up to Lennan. She took the young girl's wounded hand and examined it before kissing the already bruising knuckles. She then glanced down at Tara, who looked up through rage filled, watering eyes.

Gemma tutted. "That just shows you to not go picking fights, you dumb little bitch." She turned to Bobby, who was watching the scene with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "Take her to the hospital," Gemma commanded before turning back to Tara. "And you. You're never to step foot on this property again, understand?"

"Jax!" Tara shouted, her voice muffled by her blood filled hand.

Jax shook his head, his arm tightening around Lennan's small waist. "No," he said calmly. "We're done, Tara. The way you've been acting lately combined with what you just did. No. We're totally done"

Tara looked like she wanted to say something, but Bobby walked over and hauled her up, leading her to the door. It opened before they got to it. Chibs stood on the other side, eyes wide when he saw the blood pouring from Tara's face. Bobby just shook his head, ushering Tara out in front of him.

Chibs then walked in, a bag of doughnuts in his hand. Taking in the sight of everyone standing around, a puddle of blood on the floor, and Lennan's messy hair and split lip, the Scotsman sighed heavily. "I leave fer twenty minutes and I miss everything," he pouted.

* * *

Lennan sat at the bar while Chibs cleaned the small cuts on her knuckles. The crow eater behind the bar smiled at Lennan and sat a shot of what looked to be tequila in front of her. Lennan didn't normally drink, but she figured it would help calm her frayed nerves. Thanking the woman, she downed the shot and put the glass on the bar before turning back to Chibs.

"I really wish someone woulda videotaped it," he was saying as he wrapped a bandage around her tiny hand. Lennan nodded and laughed, secretly wishing the same. While she didn't enjoy the pain her hand was in right now, she enjoyed wiping the smug look off of Tara's face. "There, you're all done, darlin'."

Thanking him, Lennan hopped off of the stool she was sitting on. She walked over to Tig, Happy and Jax. The younger man had been explaining the situation to his older mentors, leaving out the fact that he had kissed Tig's little girl. They had immediately blamed him for Tara's anger at Lennan, and to his credit, Jax was handling it well. He was only slightly pale while being confronted with SAMCRO's crazy eyed Sergeant at Arms and the Tacoma Killer.

"Hey, daddy," Lennan said as she walked up. Tig turned to her and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so proud of you, princess," he said, kissing her head. "You fight pretty damn well."

Lennan laughed and looked up at him. "Duh. You and Happy taught me. How could I not? I couldn't let that bitch win."

Tig smiled down at her with pride. "Damn right, baby girl." After making small talk, he and Happy, who patted her on the back, had to go to Oakland to handle something for Clay, leaving Jax and Lennan standing there.

"Hey," she said, smiling at him.

"Hey, darlin'," he murmured. Closing the few feet between them, Jax pulled Lennan to him. His hand cupped her cheek, thumb gently caressing the cut on her lip. She winced slightly, but leaned into his touch.

"I'm assuming you're the reason Tara attacked me," she said softly. Jax gave her an apologetic look, his eyes soft.

"She hit me before I could stop her. But I gotta tell you. You kicking her ass was really, really sexy," he responded, his voice getting husky. Jax rubbed his nose against hers teasingly before pulling back slightly.

"Was it? I was afraid I came off kinda crazy. I didn't know how you would react, honestly." Lennan brought her hand up and ran it through his hair.

"It's okay. The reason she came storming in here was because I told her we needed some space." Lennan's eyes widened. Jax smiled and nodded at her. "She obviously didn't take it too well."

Lennan pushed aside the little feeling of guilt that grew in her chest and looked up at Jax sheepishly. "So, I didn't look crazy, then?"

"Oh, you did, sweetheart. You did. But it's okay. You're my kind of crazy." Lennan blushed and Jax chuckled, running his thumb over her cheekbone.

"Hey, blondie," she whispered.

Jax was distracted by how soft her skin was, and answered her with a soft, "Hmm?"

Lennan leaned forward a little bit, drawing his eyes to her. She smiled at him before whispering, "Kiss me."

Jax grinned and gave her exactly what she wanted.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! The next chapter that I'm going to post is my favorite so far, so I hope you all are looking forward to it.**

**Nerd: I didn't want to give anything away, so I waited until after the chapter was over to address you. I hope this was quality Lennan-kicking-Tara's-ass for you. :)**

**Don't expect Lennan and Jax to move too quickly. They've been friends for years, but they still have to explore this romantically. I'm trying to keep it as slow as I can, and now that Tara is out of the picture, they can develop their relationship.**

**Have a great day!**


	4. Chapter 3: Just To See You Smile

**Tiki: Thank you for sticking with it this far. I was actually thinking about another one, after this is said and done, about Tig. And as for the updates. I'm thinking, for now, at least three a week. I'm currently looking for a job, and until I find one, all I have to entertain myself with is housework, cooking, laundry and writing. I have so many ideas bouncing around in my head for this story, and I made an outline the other night mapping out the next six chapters or so. So, until I find work, expect a few updates a week.**

**Guest with the long review: Thank you so much for the encouragement. When I first started this, I was, of course, wanting people to like it because of the story itself. But after a couple of negative reviews, I realize that I would rather have someone dislike it because it's not Jax/Tara, or they're just not interested, than them not liking it because I write poorly. I went through this chapter four times alone, changing and adding things as well as correcting mistakes. And I'm glad you and Tiki made your comments about Tig. He is, by far, my favorite character in the show (with a close second being Juice). I think he got a lot of shit for what went down with Donna in season one, when all he was doing was following the orders of his President. I think he's a really misunderstood character, and, while he is totally crazy, he has a reason for his madness. I chose to write this one about Jax because as the series moves on, he starts to lose who he is. You'll be shocked at the difference in him between seasons one and seven. It's a little terrifying, and I wanted to see what it would be like for him if he was able to keep a grasp on who he is.**

**Thank you for all the other positive reviews, the new follows, and the new favorites.**

**I have no idea why my page breaks aren't working. They show up at first, but when I save it, they disappear. Ugh. Oh well. Here it is. Enjoy!**

**(P.S. Sorry for another really long author's note)**

* * *

"Sweetheart, can you file these?" Gemma asked, tossing a pile of old invoices onto the desk in front of Lennan. The two were in Teller-Morrow's office, where Lennan was doing paperwork for the matriarch. Summertime meant extra help around the garage, and Gemma was totally taking advantage of it this time around.

"Yes ma'am," the teen drawled, flinging her long ponytail over her shoulder and snapping her gum. She started humming to herself as she flipped through the invoices, picking one out and shoving it into a folder. Gemma, hand on cocked hip, smirked down at her. "What?" Lennan asked, putting folder away in the filing cabinet.

Gemma shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "Nothing, baby. You just seem… happier. You've been chirpy since you kicked Tara's ass." She paused, her small smile turning into a full-fledged grin. "I bet it has something to do with you and Jax hanging around each other all the time, huh?"

Lennan blushed and looked at the invoices again. It had been about a week since she had broken Tara's nose and sent her running with her tail between her legs. The injured girl hadn't been seen around since. Thankfully, with the exception of a few phone calls and pissed off messages the first couple of days after the fight, she hadn't been heard from either.

Lennan and Jax _had_ been spending a lot of time together. They were still unofficial, though. He claimed to be going slow because that's what Lennan wanted, but she knew that he too wasn't ready to just jump into a relationship.

That didn't mean they didn't spend every minute they could together, though. If they weren't with Opie and Donna (who were elated by this turn of events, thank you) or at the clubhouse, they were either riding around for hours on Jax's Harley or at Gemma's house, annoying the shit out of Clay with their giggly behavior. Gemma just ate it up, so she had refused to let Clay force them to go somewhere else with their lovey-dovey antics. When Jax had to deal with Club business, Lennan would either spend time with Gemma or see if her dad was free. The past week had been a whirlwind of activity for her, but she wouldn't change it for anything.

"Maybe," Lennan finally offered, smiling up at the Queen.

Gemma smiled back before suddenly looking at her watch. "Shit," she muttered, and rushed to gather her bag, grabbing a water bottle from the mini fridge in front of the desk.

Lennan looked at her with a furrowed brow. "What's wrong?"

Gemma glanced at her and gave her a sheepish look. "I forgot to ask. Do you think you could manage the office for a couple of hours? I have a manicure appointment." She waved her slightly chipped nails in front of Lennan's face for emphasis.

The teen started to laugh. "Go," she said, waving her hand. "I can handle it. Go get your nails did." She began to sort the invoices on the desk, blowing a blue bubble with her gum.

"You're a doll," Gemma said, going to the door. Looking back, she added, "I'll make sure to bump your pay up a little."

Lennan snorted. "I work for free!"

Gemma grinned and threw her a wink. "Oops. Bye, baby. If you have any issues, my cell is on," she said before leaving in a symphony of rattling purse chains and clicking heels.

Lennan smiled and shook her head. She loved Gemma, but the woman was a little crazy. Heaving a sigh, she went back to work.

It wasn't unpleasant and the time passed quickly. People were constantly in and out of the office, dropping off and picking up their vehicles and making appointments. At one point, Luann, Big Otto's wife, showed up looking for Gemma. When Lennan told her Gemma was out, the porn queen had proceeded to compliment the young girl on the size of her chest, letting her know that she could make a great actress. The blushing and slightly disturbed Lennan had literally pushed her out the door.

Jax and Opie came in for a little bit, keeping her company before leaving to get back to work. Gemma had wrangled them in as summer employees as well, tasking them with the role of mechanic. Jax returned every now and then to give her long, lingering kisses, taking full advantage of his mother's absence.

Around four o'clock that afternoon, Gemma still wasn't back. Lennan knew damn well that a manicure didn't take three and a half hours. As she reached for her phone to call her, the older woman beat her to it.

"Hey, sweetheart," Gemma said as Lennan answered. "I'm sorry. I won't be coming back. Some shit came up. But, I wanted to tell you to tell Jax and Opie that dinner's at my house tonight at seven. Tell Opie he can bring Donna." From the sounds of it, Luann had found Gemma. The blonde woman was in the background shouting out very explicit orders. Lennan cringed, realizing that Gemma was at Cara Cara, Luann's porn studio

"Okay. Do you need us to bring anything?" she asked, standing up and walking to the window that looked out into the garage. She saw Opie and Jax talking and laughing. One of the other mechanics threw a rag at them, saying something to them with a smirk. Jax and Opie separated quickly, each going back to their projects.

"No, baby. I got everything. Just have Jax bring you about an hour and a half early so you can help cook. Close the shop at five," Gemma ordered. Lennan heard moaning in the background followed by Luann ordering a "big finish".

She held her phone out from her face and looked at it with disgust before responding, "Alright. I'll let them know, and I'll see you then." Gemma agreed before hanging up. Going over to the desk, Lennan tried to find something else to work on. After a few minutes of attempting to fill out an order form, she threw her pen down and stood up.

Walking outside and sighing, Lennan stretched her arms over her head and looked out at the lot. She saw Uncle Bobby climbing on his bike. He sent her a wave before riding off. There were a couple of crow eaters sitting on the picnic table by the clubhouse, talking and swinging their bare feet in the sun.

The summer was winding down, with school starting in only two weeks. Lennan was painfully aware that these days were coming to an end and wanted to enjoy every minute of the gorgeous weather while it was possible. She thought about planning a beach trip with Jax, Opie, and Donna. It may be difficult, considering the conflicts the Club had with a couple of surrounding clubs and gangs, but she figured she could convince Gemma into giving the go ahead.

A car roaring into the lot brought her out of her thoughts. She stood like a deer in headlights, praying that whoever was behind the wheel wasn't an enemy of the Club who would just see her as collateral damage. Being on guard was usual for everyone in The Life, and she didn't even stop to think about how _unusual_ that train of thought was for a sixteen year old girl working at a repair shop. The car slowed a little, pulling up near her and making a spot for itself to the left of the office.

Lennan backed up toward the garage as she watched the driver get out, shut the door, and begin walking toward her. The sun was behind him, so she had to use her hand to shield her eyes. Even then, it was difficult to get a good look. As he got closer, his head shaded the sun and she was able to make out his features. He was medium height and seemed to be about the same age as Jax and Opie, if not a little older. The boy quickened his pace as they made eye contact. He reached her quickly, standing a little too close for comfort.

"Hi," Lennan said, fighting the urge to back up a step. "Can I help you with something?" The guy's grin widened, and she felt a chill run up her spine. Alarm bells went off in her head and her gut told her that something just wasn't right about his smile.

He ran his hand over his short cropped hair before nodding. "Yeah. I just moved into town, and there's something wrong with my car's AC. I asked around, and this place was highly recommended. I was hoping to get it looked at," he explained. His gaze turned assessing as he eyed her body. His eyes lingered on her chest, covered by a black tank top, then roamed to her tan legs that flowed from her white shorts. Lennan resisted the urge to slap him, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

"Well, we're closing in a little under an hour, and all our mechanics are working on something. You could call back tomorrow and make an appointment if you want," she suggested. She could have easily led him into the office and make the appointment for him right then and there. But she had no desire to be trapped in a confined space with him.

A flash of annoyance crossed his features for a brief second before his grin came back. Lennan kept smiling, but took a step back, bringing herself to the opening of one of the garage bays. This meant she was in the line of sight of the mechanics working, which gave her a little comfort.

The guy took a step closer to her and rubbed his head with his hand again. "Awe, man. I was hoping to get it looked at now. It really sucks not having air conditioning in the California heat," he reasoned, attempting to turn on the charm. Needless to say, it didn't work. Lennan got a chill every time he spoke and she was growing very uncomfortable.

"You get used to it," she drawled, taking another step back.

The boy frowned at her, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly. He took another step toward her. "Be that as it may," he started, looking at her without blinking. "I'm not quite used to it yet. So, can we see if there's a mechanic available to look at it?"

Lennan opened her mouth argue when she felt a hand rest on her lower back. The scents of leather and cigarette smoke reached her nose. A warm body pressed against her arm and she felt a kiss being placed on the back of her head, making her relax slightly.

She looked up at Jax and gave him a small smile before looking back at the boy in front of her. The stranger's eyes had narrowed even more, and his grin had turned into a scowl. Lennan leaned into Jax a little more, feeling increasingly uneasy about this new arrival.

"Can I help you with something," Jax asked sharply. Opie had drawn his friend's attention to where Lennan and the stranger were standing, and they both had watched as the guy matched Lennan step for step. Jax had seen her unease in the set of her shoulders and decided to intervene. Now, he slid his hand from the small of Lennan's back to wrap around her hip. He saw the stranger's eyes flick to it then back up to meet his.

"Yeah," he said shortly. "I was telling her about my AC being broken. I need it fixed. You got someone that could look at it?"

Jax tightened his hold on Lennan's hip before turning to one of the mechanics. "Hey, Dog. You got time to look at an AC?" The mechanic in question shook his head, and gestured to the engine he was currently working on. "Come on, man," Jax said, making eye contact. Some silent communication seemed to go on between them, and Dog turned to the stranger, eyes narrowing slightly with suspicion, before finally agreeing. Jax turned back to the stranger and nodded his head toward Dog. "He'll look at it for ya."

The boy nodded and started to turn away. He stopped suddenly and turned back, his previous scowl now replaced with a smile. "I was just wondering. You both look young. Do you go to Charming High?"

Jax looked at the guy suspiciously as he felt Lennan tense. Not really seeing the harm, he shrugged a shoulder and nodded. "Yeah. I'm Jax. This is Lennan," he said, feeling the heat of her glare on him as he said her name. Jax pointed at Opie, who was still watching the situation closely. "That guy over there is my best friend, Opie."

The guy smiled and walked up, standing too close again. He held his hand out to Jax, who hesitated before finally shaking it. "It's nice to meet you. I'm gonna be in my senior year this year, and I didn't wanna go into it not knowing anyone. My name is Josh. Josh Kohn."

* * *

"That dude is creepy as fuck," Lennan muttered to Jax and Opie. They stood by the door to the office watching Kohn shake Dog's hand. Charming's newest citizen shot Lennan one last leer that sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine. He turned his back to the trio and got into his car before leaving.

Opie nodded in agreement. "I didn't like the way he was looking at you. It was weird. And I don't think he knows the meaning of 'personal space'." He traded his work shirt for his cut and started to wipe off his hands. "And lucky us, we get to see more of him in a couple of weeks."

"Lovely," Lennan said in a low voice. A sudden thought snapped her back to reality. Looking at the clock on the wall, she cursed. Opie and Jax looked at her with amusement. "Mr. Creepypants made us late closing the shop. Dinner at Gemma's at seven. Ope, she said you could bring Donna. She told me to close at five and to have you," she pointed at Jax, "to get me there by five-thirty, so I could help cook." Lennan nodded at the clock. "It's five-fifteen."

Opie laughed at her panic, knowing that it wasn't unjustified, but thankful that it wasn't him who was late to see the Queen. "You guys go on. I'll close up then go pick up Donna. Let Gem know that we'll be there by six-thirty."

Lennan smiled at him, then kissed her hand and placed it on his cheek. It was an old habit of hers, stemming back to when they were younger and she was too short to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. Opie kissed his hand and placed it on her forehead before laughing. Lennan grinned and grabbed Jax's hand, pulling him toward his bike.

Jax chuckled as he let her drag him. "Babe. She's not gonna kill you for being a few minutes late." Lennan gave him a pointed look. He made a show of looking thoughtful for a moment before he laughed again and nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "You're right. She'll kick both our asses."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought his face close to hers. "But, I expect a kiss first. And make it a good one," he murmured, a playful look in his eye. They hadn't slept together yet and had barely gone beyond heavy petting, but just being around Lennan drove Jax wild. Whenever she smiled up at him, his breath would catch in his throat and his heart would pound. He was crazy for her, and he wasn't afraid to admit it or show it. He just couldn't seem to keep his lips off of hers.

Lennan giggled, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her forehead to his. Her long hair tickled his arms as she looked up at him. "Okay. But we gotta make it quick, baby. I don't want your mom to kill me," she quietly agreed.

That was all the invitation Jax needed. He pressed his lips to hers, getting lost yet again in the cinnamon taste that always made his head spin. He licked her lips, encouraging her to open her mouth to him. Sighing, she did just that, his warm tongue brushing hers.

She loved the way he tasted of mint and, even if he was sober, whiskey. The way his arms tightened around her seemingly of their own accord. As his hand grabbed her hair under her loose ponytail and gathered it into a bunch at her scalp, she bit back a moan. One of her hands slid up his back, between his cut and his shirt, gripping the fabric.

Jax put a hand on the small of her back, dragging her flush against his body, his erection pressing against her through his jeans. Lennan gasped and her eyes grew wide. Jax just grinned as he kissed her, nipping at her lips then using his tongue to sooth the sting. This time, she couldn't hold back the moan that escaped her, and she felt his hardness throb through his pants as it pressed against her bare thigh.

A catcall ripped through the air and the couple leapt apart, both blushing red. Lennan looked up and saw Happy and Chibs laughing as they walked out of the clubhouse. Jax ran his hand through his hair and smiled down at her sheepishly. He mounted his bike, looking back at her expectantly.

Lennan began to giggle before opening his saddlebag and handing him his helmet, then putting hers on. "Now we're definitely gonna be late," she teased, placing her hands lightly on his shoulders to steady herself as she climbed on the bike behind him. She felt Jax chuckle as he started the engine.

"It was worth it, baby," he shouted over the rumbling. Lennan laughed, then wrapped her arms around his waist. He reached back and squeezed her bare thigh before roaring out of the lot.

As they went down the streets toward Gemma's, Jax's mind was spinning. He and Lennan weren't even together officially yet. They hadn't had sex yet. She hadn't even touched his dick.

But then why did he always melt into a puddle in front of her? He would do anything to make her happy, or to make her laugh, just to see her smile. When it came to her, his protective streak was a mile wide. Jax had come close to pounding Kohn's face in with a wrench when he saw the way the guy was looking at her earlier. Jax didn't know how, but over the years she had wrapped him so tightly around her tiny finger that he didn't think he could breathe without her.

He remembered feeling this way about Tara at one time. But it had never been this intense, and it had never felt this comfortable. With Tara, even in the beginning, it was as if he was always on edge, waiting for the next shoe to drop. Everyone who knew Tara knew about her temper. That had been very apparent the first time they had fought. Tara had thrown a coffee mug at his head. If he thought hard enough, he could still feel the draft of it flying by his face.

But Lennan… she was something completely different. She was calm when she needed to be. Passionate when the situation called for it. Her fight with Tara just a week ago showed that she could be fierce. She loved her family with all her heart. But she showed her vulnerability to him. She wasn't afraid to open up to him and tell him what she felt. Tara had always been afraid to show weakness to him. Whether it was because she just couldn't or she was afraid he would exploit it, Jax didn't know. But Lennan telling him her fears, laughing with him without a care. It made him forget that he was a prospect for an outlaw motorcycle club. That his family was full of murderers and criminals. That he might die tomorrow just because of the life he was born into.

As she rubbed her cheek against his back and tightened her hold on his waist, Jax felt the butterflies in his stomach that always seemed to be present whenever she touched him. Hell, whenever she looked at him. Jax shook his head, realizing he was falling fast for the girl riding bitch on his bike. And it scared the shit out of him.

* * *

As it turned out, Gemma was being very generous and was only slightly annoyed that Lennan and Jax rolled up ten minutes late. Lennan had explained to her about the creepy latecomer to the shop, and Gemma was adequately concerned. She promised that if she had to leave her alone again, a Club member would be in the office with her until Gemma got back. Lennan herself thought it was a little overkill, but Gemma reminded her that being a part of The Life had its risks so it didn't hurt to be cautious.

Luann ushered the girl and a couple of other old ladies into the kitchen, where they started to assist Gemma in making dinner. There was laughter and teasing floating around along with a bottle of vodka and a joint. Lennan passed the bottle without taking a sip, but took a couple of hits from the joint. Gemma looked at her with a smirk as the young girl passed it back to her. She just shrugged and turned back to preparing the salad.

"So," Luann said, coming up next to her. The big breasted blonde was the porn queen, and was always dressed to kill. And Lennan would probably kill for the boots on Luann's feet. The thought made Lennan giggle. She abruptly stopped when she realized how quickly the weed was working.

Luann gave her a knowing look and grinned. "So," she repeated. "I hear you and Jax are an item now."

"Not officially," Lennan said, trying to concentrate on both the conversation and cutting the cucumber in front of her into slices. She cut piece after piece while Luann watched.

"Well, at least you kicked Tara's ass," the older woman reasoned, sprinkling cheese over the glass dishes holding the chicken parmesan. It was Lennan's favorite. It had been the first meal Gemma made for her at the clubhouse all those years ago, and the Queen still liked to treat her on occasion.

Lennan smirked when she registered Luann's comment about Tara. "I wish you could have seen it. So much blood," she giggled. She finished with the cucumber and set the salad aside, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She turned to Luann, who was grinning as she put the final bits of cheese on the last dish.

"You made me proud," Gemma added, taking one dish at a time from Luann and placing them in the oven. She came back to Lennan and pulled her into a hug. "You'll be a great old lady for my son," she said quietly.

Lennan felt tears prick her eyes as she smiled up at Gemma. "Thanks, Gem. Let's hope he wants to give me that title."

"Baby, I think we all know the answer to that," was the only response she got.

Dinner was ready soon after, and Lennan helped the other women set the table before taking a seat between Jax and her father. Tig leaned over and kissed her on the top of the head. "How are you, princess? Jax and Opie told us about the creeper at the garage," he said, taking a couple of pieces of garlic bread and putting them on his plate.

Lennan sighed as she placed a pile of salad on her own plate before handing the bowl to Jax. He winked at her as he took it. She smiled, then turned back to her dad. "I'm okay, daddy. Really. It was just weird. He said he's going to be a senior this year, so hopefully I can avoid him, being a year younger." She stabbed a piece of chicken from the dish her father handed her and put it on her plate, then spooned some pasta next to it.

"Hopefully," her dad mused through a mouthful of food. Jax, who had been listening to the conversation, nodded in agreement.

For most of the dinner, Jax had his hand on her thigh, squeezing it every now and then. She made conversation with him, her dad, Donna and Opie. Occasionally, Chibs, Bobby or Clay would direct a teasing comment toward her or Jax, to which they both continually responded to with a very specific finger. The table would laugh and go back to their own conversations. Tig steadfastly ignored any mentioning of Lennan and Jax being together, hoping that if he didn't address it, it wouldn't be true. She was his little girl, damn it, and he wasn't ready for that yet.

They all enjoyed a great meal and wonderful company. By the time dessert and coffee were served, Lennan began to yawn, leaning gently on her father's shoulder. She closed her eyes, promising herself it would only be for a moment and cursing herself for smoking the weed. It always made her sleepy. She listened to the laughter and murmuring of her family, feeling warm and safe. All those factors, combined with the rumble of her father's voice and Jax's hand rubbing her thigh lulled Lennan into a light sleep.

"Why don't you stay here, sweetheart," came Gemma's voice a half an hour later. Lennan opened her eyes groggily, surprised to see the dining room almost empty. Only her father, Gemma and Luann were left at the table, and the dishes were all cleared. Tig looked down at her and smiled.

"I don't want to put you out, Gem," she said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She looked at her father, wondering what time it was. "Are you gonna be home tonight, daddy?"

Tig shook his head. "No, baby girl. I gotta go on the protection run for Unser. There are four of us going and we're going to take Jax and Ope with us. It's low key, so it'll be something good for them to get their feet wet with. It would probably be best for you to stay here. No one will be at the clubhouse, and I don't want you home alone. Clay will be here. Plus, even if he wasn't, Gemma will be, too."

Lennan nodded, looking at Gemma, who sent her a smirk. She grinned and rolled her eyes, then turned back to her father. "When do you leave?" she asked, pushing her chair out and standing up.

Tig did the same, stretching slightly. He looked down at her, saying, "Now. Otto and I are going to the clubhouse to get some things and lock up. The rest of the guys are meeting us in twenty minutes." He pulled his daughter into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "You be good for Gemma and Clay," he teased.

Lennan laughed and rubbed her cheek against his cut, feeling the smooth leather against her face. Ever since the day she met him, Tig had always smelled like leather. All the brothers did. "Of course. Be careful," she said as he pulled away.

Tig used his fist to lightly tap her chin. "Always, baby girl. I'll call you in the morning. It shouldn't take too long. And I want to take you shopping tomorrow afternoon. So don't make any plans."

Lennan raised an eyebrow. "The biker is taking his daughter shopping?" She placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "Are you sure you don't have a fever, dad?"

Gemma chuckled as Tig lightly smacked his daughter's hand away with a smirk. "Oh, shut up. School starts in a couple of weeks and you need new clothes. Don't act so surprised. I live for scaring those gashes that work in those stores you like," he said, a mischievous glint in is eye.

Lennan snorted, smacking his shoulder. "You don't scare them. The last time we went shopping, two of them were fighting each other over who got to give you their number."

Tig smirked proudly. "No one can resist my charm." He flipped off Luann and Gemma, who had started laughing at the comment. "I gotta go, princess," he finally said. Pulling her to him, he kissed the top of her head once more before saying, "I love you."

Lennan smiled. "I love you too, dad." Tig smiled at her before leaving through the door in the kitchen, hot on Otto's impatient heels. Lennan looked at Gemma, who had gone back to quietly talking with Luann and sipping a glass of wine.

Gemma looked up from the conversation and smiled at the tired girl. "You know where your room is," she said with a wink. Lennan had a designated room in Gemma's house. It had been hers since the day Tig had introduced her to the Queen, and it had changed with her throughout the years. "And," Gemma continued, sharing a knowing smirk with Luann. "Jax is in the living room."

"Thanks, Gem," Lennan said, smiling. She slowly made her way through the house and into the living room, seeing Jax seated on the love-seat while Donna and Opie were cuddled up on the couch. Jax looked up as she entered and smiled, patting the seat next to him. She sat down, laying her head on his chest and pulling her feet into the corner of the love-seat.

"Have a nice nap?" Jax asked in a low tone, his chest rumbling. Lennan sighed and nodded her head. Jax stroked her ponytail, wrapping some of the locks around his fingers.

"My dad told me about the protection run," she said quietly. Jax's hand stopped moving. He waited, seeing what she would say. He was half expecting her to yell at him, telling him that she wanted him to stay with her. That's exactly what Tara would have done.

Lennan sat up and looked at him in the eye. She took his face in her hands, asking, "Are you nervous?"

Jax blinked at her a couple of times, surprised. He should have known she wouldn't have a negative reaction, but it was still new to him. Shaking it off, he shrugged. "A little," he found himself admitting.

Lennan just nodded and laid her head back on his chest. She started to play with a string on his cut. "I would be worried about your mental health if you weren't," she finally said, making Jax chuckle. "But seriously. I know you'll be just fine, baby. Don't worry. Both you and Ope have this kind of shit in your blood. It'll be nothing. Besides, my dad and the guys will be there if anything goes wrong."

Jax used his hands to pull her face up. He searched it for any anger or frustration. Anything to indicate she was against him going. All he saw was determination and pride. The butterflies fluttered in his stomach again, and he couldn't breathe for a moment. He wondered what this girl was doing to him.

Lennan returned his gaze, a small smile on her face. They sat there for a moment, not speaking, just looking at one another. Eventually, Happy strolled in. "Time to go, boys," he growled, before turning on his heel and walking back out. Lennan sat up and grinned at Jax.

Opie and Donna stood and embraced, while Jax pulled Lennan to her feet. He held her tightly for a few seconds. "You'll do great, baby. I know it," she mumbled. Jax pulled her face up, kissing her slowly. Their tongues danced with each other for a few seconds before Jax pulled away.

Rubbing her back, he kissed her forehead before saying, "I'll tell you when we get back, okay?" Lennan nodded and smiled. Jax kissed her again before he and Opie left the room.

Donna made her way over to Lennan and took her hand. "Do you think they'll be okay?" she asked in a small voice, obviously nervous. Lennan looked at her friend. Donna's face was pinched with worry.

Lennan sighed and threw her arm around her. Pulling her close, she confidently said, "They'll be just fine, Donna. They were made for this."

* * *

The two girls had made their way out into the dining room with Gemma and Luann, who offered the two a glass of wine. The old ladies then went on to tell stories of their lives with their bikers, trying to calm Donna's nerves. Gemma was proud to see that Lennan was dealing with it well, obviously determined that Jax would make it out okay.

Granted, Lennan had a lot more experience dealing with runs than Donna did. Since the day Tig had claimed her as his own, Lennan had been forced to learn how to stay calm anytime Club business was involved.

After a glass of wine, some conversation, then kisses and goodbyes, Luann took Donna home. Clay had long since retired to his study with a bottle of beer and a cigar. This left Lennan and Gemma to find a way to entertain themselves.

The older woman left Lennan for a moment, heading into her room to change and wash off her makeup. When she returned, the matriarch dug out a carton of ice cream from the freezer before popping a bag of popcorn. She placed it in a bowl while Lennan grabbed a couple of sodas from the fridge, and the two settled down in the living room.

"Do you have any idea what you want to watch?" Gemma asked, digging her spoon into the carton of chocolate ice cream. Lennan looked at her and chuckled to herself. She was one of the only few people who had ever seen the normally regal Queen of Charming in her natural habitat. Instead of her usual silk nightgown or lounge pants, Gemma was sitting cross legged on the couch in a pair of old gray sweatpants and a SAMCRO t-shirt that had to have been older than Lennan. A pair of black fuzzy house slippers that had seen better days sat in front of the couch. Her hair was pulled into a bun at the top of her head, and her face was scrubbed clean of make-up, making her seem a little older.

Lennan shook her head and tossed a piece of popcorn into her mouth. "I have no idea," she admitted. Gemma looked up at her with a spoon in her mouth. "Horror? A Disney movie? We could watch Chris Hemsworth toss a hammer around?" Lennan finally suggested, grabbing a spoon and digging into the ice cream on Gemma's lap.

The older woman shook her head. "I don't want to watch that shit. Let's find something else."

After a little bit of bickering, they eventually decided to watch chick flicks for the rest of the night, finishing off the ice cream, half the bowl of popcorn and an entire box of tissues in the process. Lennan's stomach was hurting from all the snacking, and she was honestly glad when she turned off the TV and stood up.

By the time Gemma pulled Lennan into a hug and sent her to bed, it was nearing two o'clock in the morning. Lennan dragged her feet as she walked down the hall and into her room. She glanced around it, smiling. Gemma had let her redo it a year ago, and Lennan was in love with the black, white, and silver color scheme. She grabbed a pair of pajamas from the dresser, then took a quick shower before pulling back her fluffy black comforter and falling into bed.

She checked her phone, frowning that she didn't get anything from her father or Jax. She sighed, knowing that they had Club business to attend to, and that they would let her know that everything was okay whenever they had the opportunity to do so.

Lennan snuggled into her pillow, thinking about Jax. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach and she pulled the comforter tighter around her body. She knew she loved him. She always had. She just never told him. What better way to send a biker running from you screaming than telling him you love him?

He was always so tender with her. So sweet and understanding. She loved that her body reacted the way it did when he was around her. Her heartbeat would quicken, her stomach would get butterflies, and she could barely breathe. She just wondered how he felt about her.

Lennan sighed and thought about the run her father and the love of her life were currently on. She knew that it was usual for them to do protection runs for the Chief of police's trucking business. But for some reason, she was anxious. Sighing, she sleepily rationalized that it was because this was the first run Jax and Opie were on, and everyone was probably a little nervous. Finally, she was able to eventually shut her eyes and drift off into a fitful sleep.

Lennan was dreaming of Jax, on his motorcycle, driving away from her. She was running after him and screaming, tears running down her face. As she opened her mouth to shout after him one more time, she felt herself being shaken awake by someone very persistent.

Gemma shook Lennan again, saying her name loudly. Lennan groaned, her bleary eyes popping open. "Sorry. I was having a nightmare," she said groggily, looking up at the Queen. She assumed that she had been crying out in her sleep, causing her to get this wakeup call.

Taking one look at Gemma's face, however, her sleep haze was gone, being replaced by a cold fear. "What's wrong?" she asked, sitting up. She completely forgot her nightmare, wondering what was going on.

"Sweetheart. I need you to get dressed and come with me. We have to go to St. Thomas," Gemma spoke calmly.

Lennan's eyes widened. "Why?" she asked, even while she tossed back the blankets walked to the long white dresser on the other side of the room, pulling out a pair of yoga pants and a sweater. She changed her clothes while Gemma watched. "Why?" she repeated.

Gemma took her hand and led her out of the room, down the hall and into the kitchen, where Lennan tugged on her tennis shoes quickly. Clay was standing by the door, looking solemn.

"I'm not moving until someone tells me what the hell is going on," Lennan announced, crossing her arms over her chest and looking from Gemma to Clay.

Clay ran a hand over his tired looking face and sighed, gesturing to Gemma. The matriarch looked at the young girl in front of her for a second before saying, "Don't panic Lennan. But your father's been shot."

* * *

**Thank you for reading.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed seeing more of Jax and Lennan's thoughts about each other, and the introduction of a teenage Kohn. I always found him creepy, so this version of him will definitely reflect that.**

**I have the next chapter written but it is still in the process of being corrected and added to. I will warn you all now, though. It is very, very emotional and heavy.**

**I'll try to post again as soon as I can. It'll be no more than a couple of days.**

**Have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 4: Daddy

**Endless Catastrophe: It has been difficult to keep them in character, especially Tig. But I'm trying. Lol**

**Tiki: I'm thinking about tying some aspects of the series into it, with a twist of AU. I just haven't decided when yet.**

**Guest: I was thinking about doing a series of one shots after this about Tig and the guys raising Lennan. I haven't outlined anything yet, but I'm almost positive that that's what I'm gonna do.**

**To the rest of you who commented. Thank you! I know you're all worried about Tig, so I won't make this author's note super long like I usually do.**

**I do have to say, though, that this chapter was so long that I had to split it up. So expect part two soon. I just need to edit it. This doesn't have Tig/Lennan interaction, but it does have Lennan's reaction to the news.**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Lennan slipped through the automatic doors of St. Thomas when they had opened just far enough for her to squeeze through. Her sweater snagged on a piece of chipped metal connected to the door but she ignored it as she sprinted down the hall, Gemma and Clay right behind her. She skidded to a halt at the information desk, panting.

The young woman behind it glanced up at her, an annoyed look on her face. She took in Lennan's demeanor. "Can I help you," she sighed, putting down the nail file she had been using.

"I need to know where Alexander Trager is. He came in a few minutes ago with a gunshot wound. I'm his daughter," Lennan said in a rush, tapping her foot nervously as Gemma and Clay caught up to her. They both looked slightly out of breath but each maintained their poise.

The nurse looked at the two adults, her gaze lingering for a moment on the "President" patch that was on Clay's cut, then turned back to Lennan. Glancing down at her nails for a second, she said, "I'm gonna need to see some identification. Then I'll have to process it. We can't give out information on an emergency patient like that without making sure the person is family." She started to gather a couple of forms and reached for a clipboard.

"We are family," Gemma insisted. She placed a hand on her cocked hip and jabbed a thumb in Lennan's direction. "This is his daughter and my husband is his brother. Now tell us where he is." She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at the nurse with hard eyes.

The nurse looked at Gemma, shaking her head. "She may be his daughter but I know what your meaning of 'brother' is, ma'am. And unfortunately, it's not legal." Clay bared his teeth at her as she laid the clipboard in front of Lennan.

The teenager looked down at the forms, her eye twitching with anger. "Are you fucking high?" she yelled. Gemma put a hand on her shoulder but she ignored it. "My father was fucking shot," she said slowly. "Just tell me where the hell he is! Please," she gritted out, close to tears. She would not let herself fall apart in front of this arrogant gash.

The nurse scowled at her. "I'm sorry, little girl. But I can't give you any information until I get proof that you're related to him," she smirked. Lennan would bet anything that the reason this woman was being so obstinate was because of the cut Clay wore.

"Listen here, you bitch," she growled. She started to reach over the desk, thinking to slam the woman's face on it a couple of times to knock some sense into her. She was an inch away from grabbing the front of the nurse's scrubs when she heard someone call for her.

"Lennan!" came Jax's shout from down the hall. Lennan sprang back from the counter and l looked in the direction of the blonde's voice. He was sprinting down the hall toward them. Lennan gave a little cry, screamed his name and ran toward him as fast as she could go.

Gemma glared at the nurse and flipped her off as she walked by. Clay stopped in front of the desk, causing the young nurse's eyes to widen. "You're obviously new. So let me tell you something. If anything happens to my brother and his little girl doesn't get to see him because of your asshole antics, you'll be hearing from me," he growled, pointing a beefy finger in her face. He grabbed the wooden clipboard and snapped it in half, tossing the pieces in front of the nurse before following his wife's form down the hall.

Lennan threw herself into Jax's arms, sobbing. "Jax," she gasped. He kissed her head and soothed her hair, shushing her. She began to sink to her knees but he held her up firmly. He then half-carried her over to where the rest of SAMCRO was sitting and waiting.

"What happened? When? And where did he get shot? Where is he? Can I see him?" she asked quickly, her voice a little high pitched. She steadied her shaking legs and started moving toward the doors at the end of the hall. Jax grabbed her arm and shook his head.

"Darlin'. He's in surgery. He got a bullet to the chest. Everything was going fine with the run until some prick shot him from a distance. We couldn't even see the guy, it was so dark out," Jax explained, running a hand over her hair.

She pulled away from him and searched the faces of her father's brothers. Bobby and Otto were looking ill. Chibs' face was so anxious that the scars on his cheeks seemed even deeper. Piney was there, looking semi-sober, talking in low, clipped tones with Opie, who gave her a sympathetic look. Lennan's heated gaze finally landed on Happy. He was the only one who matched her stare with his own.

Stomping over to the Tacoma Killer she poked a small finger into his chest as she hissed, "Why the fuck wasn't he wearing his vest?" Tears were running down her face and she was pissed at every last brother for not making sure her father was safe. She knew it was irrational, but she needed to blame someone at the moment. Happy was just the one who was unlucky enough to look back at her.

If it had been anyone else, their finger would have been snapped in half before he put a bullet between their eyes. But this small teenager was family to Happy, and his cold heart cracked a little, seeing the pain in her eyes. Without responding to her question, he made an uncomfortable decision and pulled her into a hug.

Lennan shuddered for a little bit and let him hold her. Part of her was stunned that he was showing this much kindness. But another part realized that he was probably just as worried about Tig as she was. She sighed and pulled back, looking up into his dark gaze. "Well?" she questioned.

Bobby's eyes widened. "How did you know about his vest?" He ran a hand over his beard and stared at the young girl.

Lennan scoffed. "Please, Uncle Bobby. Don't insult my intelligence. I know you guys aren't just mechanics and body guards for hire. And I don't give a shit what you all do. I just expect every fucking one of you to come back in one goddamn piece," she said in a harsh whisper. All of the men looked solemn and surprised while Gemma nodded slightly, agreeing. They all watched as Lennan began to pace back and forth.

She started chewing on her thumbnail, wondering where her father was and how long this surgery was going to take. Her heart was threatening to burst out of her chest. She wasn't sure whether it was from the adrenaline running through her body or from the fear that she was feeling. She stopped pacing and heaved a sigh, running both hands over her face and scrubbing her eyes.

Jax walked over to her and put his arms around her. She leaned into him, feeling her tears start again. "We don't know why he didn't have his vest. We all assumed he did. When he went down, we expected him to get right back up. And then we saw the blood. He was knocked unconscious when he hit the ground. We called an ambulance as soon as we realized what was going on," Jax explained.

Lennan shook her head, letting her tears flow. Jax pulled her to his chest as she sobbed. She cried for her father, for the pain he must be in. For the fear in her heart and for the guilt and fear she knew the members of SAMCRO were feeling. She beat her little fists against Jax's chest, crying out for her father. Her muffled wails echoed throughout the hall. The brothers all watched her with sadness.

Tig was the only father she had ever known. He was her guardian angel in leather, her savior, and if she lost him now, it would break her. They all knew that. Gemma put a hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her own face. The Queen held onto her husband as she watched the little girl they all loved so much cry for her daddy.

Jax gently led Lennan away from the group, bringing her to the small chapel down the hall. It was empty this time of night, so he sat her down on a bench and held her while she continued to sob. Her body shook as she cried and he could feel her tears soaking into his plain white t-shirt. Jax didn't know what to say to her, so he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and kept quiet, occasionally running his hand over her back.

After a while, she finally quieted down. Lennan rested the side of her face against his now wet shirt and stared at the lit candles that danced soothingly in the darkness. This is where people came to pray and grieve, and the warm flickers of light gave her a little bit of solace. The only sound was an occasional hiccup and sniffle. Jax sat, stroking her hair, waiting for her to talk when she was ready. Eventually, Lennan sat up, looking at him, her cheeks tearstained and puffy. "What, baby?" he finally asked in a soft voice. He brushed one of her cheeks with the pad of his thumb, catching a stray tear.

"What if I lose him? God, Jax. He saved me from that woman. He's my daddy. I can't lose him. He told me he would never leave. What if he slips away? We don't know what that bullet hit. What if it did too much damage?" she whispered, another tear sliding down her face.

Her mind involuntarily raced back to all the times Tig had been there for her since he had saved her from her mother. She remembered his fear when, several months after the adoption, she had come running into the garage while he worked on a car. She fell, cutting her knee on a piece of metal. She had needed to get four stitches and he was more upset about it than she was. But he had been immediately calmed when she had said, "Relax, dad. I'm okay." It was the first time she had called him that and they had both cried right there in the middle of the doctor's office.

She smiled lightly as she thought back to when she was ten years old and he had allowed her to put makeup on him, making her promise that she wouldn't tell a soul. She had obeyed his request, rejoicing in the fact that he had let her do it at all. But years later, she had walked into the clubhouse to him sitting at a table with Chibs and Happy, a picture in his hand. She had peeked over his shoulder to catch a glimpse. It was a selfie, taken by Tig, of her sitting on his lap and both of them smiling at the camera. Tig's cheeks were painted with blush, his lips scarlet, his eyes smudged with electric blue eyeshadow and eyeliner shaping his eyes. She didn't remember taking the picture, but it was there. He kept it hanging on the refrigerator now.

Lennan then remembered the time her father had held her while she cried after Eddie Thompson, the class bully, told her she wasn't pretty enough to talk to him. Tig had soothed her and then made Gemma come over before leaving for a while, getting home just in time to tuck her into bed. Eddie had apologized the next day before school dismissed. Lennan had watched him get into the car with his father, who was sporting a black eye. Even at the age of twelve, she knew her dad had something to do with it.

So many more memories with Tig tried to make their way to the surface, but Lennan forced them down. She couldn't handle any more tears. They didn't change a damn thing. She sighed as she thought about her father. She may not have been his blood, but she was his through and through. He had never treated her as if she wasn't his own. He loved her just as much he did Dawn and Fawn.

Jax took her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. "Listen to me, Lennan. Tig is one of the strongest men I know. I've seen him in the ring. One time they had to get three others to pull him off. He woulda beaten the guy to death." Lennan's eyes widened, but he continued. "He smiles at the sight of blood. He's the scariest motherfucker I've ever met, next to Happy. If the grim reaper even thinks about visiting him, Tig will chop off the poor bastard's head with his own scythe," he said with so much conviction, and a little fear of the psycho that was her father, that Lennan found herself nodding. She sighed and rested her forehead against his for a moment.

Lennan took a deep breath and stood up, holding her hand out to Jax, who took it and squeezed it. He stood up next to her and pulled her to him. She buried her face into the nape of his neck, inhaling his leather and cigarette smoke scent. "He'll be okay," Jax murmured into her hair.

Lennan nodded. Thinking for a moment, she looked up at him. "You got a lighter?" she asked quietly. Jax hesitated, confused for a second, before nodding. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his zippo, handing it over. Lennan gave him a small smile and took it before pulling away from him.

She walked over to the small stand in the corner of the room that held the dimly glowing candles. Lennan wasn't a religious person, but she did believe that there was a higher being out there, watching over everyone. She picked up an unlit candle, bringing it to life with the zippo before placing it back where it was. Lennan bowed her head and said a little prayer, hoping someone was out there listening to it. She figured her family would need all the help they could get.

* * *

After taking some time to fully collect herself, Lennan and Jax made their way back to their waiting group. Her eyes were still red rimmed, her cheeks puffy. She looked the way any normal teenager would look after hearing their father had been shot.

But those who knew her saw her resolve shining through those bright eyes. She held her shoulders straight and her head high as she walked toward the SAMCRO men and Gemma, smiling at each one of them. She sat down next to Gemma who looked at her with a mixture of compassion and understanding.

Lennan had, after all, learned how to handle emotions from the best. Gemma had mentored her, teaching her that a key factor of being an old lady was to show strength in times where others would show weakness. While Lennan herself was not technically an old lady, she still reached down into herself to find the steel spine she needed right now. That her father and her family needed.

Clay sat on the other side of the hallway, surrounded by his brothers and trying to figure out a way to find who did this to his friend. He did this while keeping one eye on Lennan. "How's she holding up?" he asked Jax, who had just joined the group.

Jax looked over at Lennan, who was staring at the wall in front of her while Gemma absently stroked the girl's arm. Jax shook his head. "About as well as can be expected," he responded. "She's upset, obviously. But I think she's okay."

Clay looked at his stepson and nodded. "Just make sure to keep an eye on her," he warned. "The last thing we need right now is for her to have a mental breakdown." Jax nodded in agreement.

Lennan sat there, staring at the wall for a little over half an hour. No one tried to talk to her, allowing her to have some time with her own thoughts. Gemma sat by her side, continuously stroking her arm.

Lennan knew that she was surrounded by support and that eased her fears a little more. She knew that no matter what happened, she would have a group of people with her that loved her and would never let anything happen to her. Her father had told her early on that if he passed away she would be taken care of. Lennan never doubted that. But there was no one in the world who could replace her father.

The sound of the double doors opening to her right made her slowly turn her head. A doctor in blue scrubs was taking off a white surgical face mask as he walked up to the leather clad group. He didn't look surprised at all to see them.

"Alexander Trager's family?" he asked in a voice the said he knew exactly who they were. That brought Lennan out of her stupor. She shot up out of her seat before the man's sentence was even finished, making her way to stand in front of him. He looked down at her with a kind, warm smile.

She wiped her suddenly sweaty palms on the thighs of her yoga pants. "I'm his daughter. How is he? Is he okay?" She unconsciously crossed her fingers, looking at the doctor without breathing.

His smile grew. "Yes. The bullet lodged in his chest. Sometimes, with gunshot wounds, if the projectile hasn't done any damage, it can be left in. Your father got lucky. The bullet was only about five millimeters away from his right lung. To avoid the bullet migrating and eventually damaging the lung, we decided to go in and get it. We didn't have any trouble at all." Lennan relaxed her posture, her face breaking into a smile. "We had to give him a transfusion because of his blood loss at the scene. But it worked well. He'll be fine as long as his wounds heal properly," he finished.

A collective sigh of relief was heard throughout the hall and Lennan's smile grew so wide her cheeks hurt. "When can I see him?" she asked. Gemma put her arm around her and stood there listening to the doctor.

The man gave another small smile. "He's still being observed for a while to make sure he comes out of the anesthesia okay, but he should be put in a private room within the hour. He may fall back asleep, but he has a slight concussion so we're not going to let him sleep too long without waking him up. Two people at a time can go in. We'll want to make sure everything heals well, so we'll be keeping him for about a week."

Lennan nodded vigorously, thanking him before he turned to leave. She then turned to Gemma, beaming at her. The matriarch pulled her into a tight embrace. "He's gonna be okay, baby." She kissed her cheek before holding her at arms-length. She smiled at Lennan one more time, then wandered off to talk to her husband as Jax swaggered over, a grin on his face.

"I told you, darlin'," he said, kissing her forehead. Lennan smiled up at him, her eyes bright and happy. Jax's breath caught in his throat, seeing how beautiful she was. He didn't care who was watching. He couldn't help but to bring his lips down to hers in a lingering kiss. He could taste the salt that lingered from her tears with the undertone of that cinnamon he loved so much. Lennan gave a little sigh, kissing him back.

Someone coughed nearby and Jax and Lennan looked up to find Bobby smirking at them. Jax rolled his eyes while Lennan blushed a deep crimson. Bobby laughed and slung his arm over her shoulders. "No need to be embarrassed. I was just wanting to tell you that we're rolling out now that we know Tigger's gonna be okay. Jax, we need you and Ope to come with us."

Jax looked from Bobby to Lennan, obviously torn on what to do. Lennan shook her head. "Go," she said softly. "The Club needs you. I'll be fine." She gave Bobby a quick squeeze then pecked Jax on the lips before walking over to the guys, who were waiting to tell her how happy they were that her father was okay.

Bobby slapped Jax on the back as they both watched the girl walk away. "You got your hands full with that one, brother. But there's no doubt she's gonna make one hell of an old lady."

Jax turned to walk out of the hospital with his brothers, his eyes lingered on Lennan's smiling face one more time. As he felt the butterflies come to life in his stomach, he couldn't help but to agree.

* * *

The Club gathered outside of the hospital, clustered in a small group. It was very late, or early, depending on your viewpoint, and they didn't worry too much about someone overhearing. Regardless, they decided to have their conversation in low, hushed tones.

Chibs ran a hand through his hair, his eyes hooded and very tired. "I talked to Trammel. He said that the cameras at the stoplight before ours when Tiggy was shot caught a video of the shooter." Clay looked at him expectantly. "The asshole was wearing a prospect cut. He was ridin' a chopper with ape hangers."

Bobby cursed out loud. Clay hissed through his teeth. "Mayan?" he asked. Chibs nodded solemnly. A chorus of furious curses filled the air. Jax looked at Opie, both of them wide eyed.

Clay paced slightly away from the group, running a hand over his weathered face. His Sergeant at Arms had been shot and he hadn't been there. He was just as pissed off at himself as he was at the little prick who had pulled the goddamn trigger.

Sighing, he turned back to his brothers and jumped into President mode. "Happy. Get Alvarez on the phone. Tell him some shit went down and we need to call a ceasefire. I need to talk to him. We'll meet at the truck stop halfway between here and Oakland, the small one just our side of Antioch. He'll know what one." Happy nodded before pulling out his phone and pacing away to make the call. Clay turned to Chibs. "Call Trammel back. Tell him that we need the sheriff's department to 'lose' the tape." Chibs looked at him curiously, but nodded before he too walked away to make a phone call.

Clay rubbed his hand over his head. He looked at Jax and Opie, who were looking back at him with apprehension. This was their first full-fledged experience as prospects. The look of fear in their eyes worried him. He loved them both as if they were his own, but if they couldn't deal with revenge against a brother's attacker, he couldn't let them patch in.

Suddenly, he was hit with an idea. "Boys. This is a good learning experience for the both of you. I want you two to come with us when we talk to Alvarez. I want you to listen and learn, got it?" Both boys nodded at him.

Happy returned. "Alvarez agreed. He said to meet him there in half an hour."

Clay nodded, looking at Chibs, who had returned while Happy was speaking. "Trammel shares our thoughts that the tape would be better lost. But he wants some compensation," the Scotsman informed his President.

Clay smirked. "Of course he does." He turned to his bike. "Otto, I want you and Piney to stay here to keep an eye on the ladies and Tig. The rest of you are coming with me." Otto and Piney agreed while Happy, Jax, Chibs and Bobby mounted their bikes. Piney pulled his son in for a hug, whispering something in his ear that had the tall teen nodding as he pulled away. Opie then sprinted to his bike and the convoy following their President out of Charming and onto the highway.

Jax was lost in thought through the entire twenty-five mile ride. He was wondering about Lennan. Her smiling face was brought to his mind and he grinned for a minute. He had loved seeing her happy after such a horrible night. As relieved as he was himself that Tig was going to be okay, he was even more relieved for Lennan's sake. Those damn butterflies made their presence known again. He needed to get his thoughts away from her and on what was going down now.

He was nervous about what would happen. Jax had never been to a meeting between Presidents, particularly one between two that had Clubs at war with one another. He could only hope that it would be peaceful. His attention was drawn to the unfamiliar weight of the new firearm holstered to his side, praying that he wouldn't have to use it.

They made the trip quickly, getting no interference from other Clubs, police or civilians. Parking to the side and hidden from any vehicles that would drive by on the road, Clay led the way into the Club friendly all night truck stop. The President entered, nodding at the cashier. The middle aged woman nodded back before going into the break room. There was no one else in the place as Clay walked further in, pointing Jax to a seat at one of the booths in the restaurant area. Bobby sat at the table behind him while Opie, Chibs and Happy sat behind where the Mayan President would be. The President slid in next to his stepson.

They didn't have to wait long before they heard the roaring of several more motorcycles. The men could see the headlights shining through one of the windows in front of them before disappearing. Moments later, Marcus Alvarez walked in with two others trailing close behind.

Clay stood up, shaking the hand of the Mayan President. "Marcus," he greeted with a nod. Alvarez nodded back. He motioned for his Vice President to sit in the free seat before sliding in next to him. The Sergeant at Arms stood close by, his arms crossed over his broad chest and his eyes surveying the group.

Alvarez clasped his hands together on the table in front of him and leaned forward slightly. "I heard about your Sergeant at Arms. I hope he's on the mend," he offered. Jax stiffened, eyes narrowed.

Clay looked at the other President with unblinking eyes. "He is, thanks," he said sharply. "How are things going in Oakland?"

Alvarez leaned back. "They're getting better. Black has been backing out. They're losing too much to the Chinese and needed to focus their sights on one location. In fact, Laroy and I have had several civil conversations lately." Clay's eyes widened slightly, surprised at the news. Alvarez smiled a little. "But I don't expect that you called me out to an empty truck stop at four-thirty in the morning to talk about Mayan territories."

Clay sighed, running his hand over his face. "You're right. Let's get to the point, Marcus. My men were doing a favor for a friend when my SAA was shot. None of our guys saw the shooter because he was a pussy and ran." Clay leaned forward and looked Alvarez in the eye. The other President met his stare without blinking. "Our brother was shot by one of yours."

There was a beat of silence before Alvarez nodded. "A prospect," he confirmed. Clay's eyes narrowed suspiciously. The other President chuckled slightly at the Sons' suspicions. "You can't think that you're the only one with friends in the sheriff's office, Clay. I know about the tape. My source told me what was on it." Clay relaxed slightly. "I know why you requested for me to come out here. Before you ask, I did not order a hit on anyone in your Club. That prospect acted alone," he explained smoothly.

Clay ran a hand through his hair, relieved. He nodded his head. "I was hoping for as much. You do realize that we need to take care of this, right? I can't let people go shooting up my Club members and you can't go letting your prospects think that they can act without your permission."

Alvarez nodded, a smile on his lips. "I know. Which is why I brought you a little present. Come with me, boys." The Mayan stood up, motioning for the Sons to follow him. He left the building, closely followed by his VP and SAA.

Happy stood between the retreating group and Clay, not taking chances. He looked to his President for some confirmation as to what they were going to do. Clay shrugged before standing. "Let's go, boys. I never turn down a free gift. It could be candy," he said in a sarcastic voice.

The Sons made their way into the night, following the sounds of conversation. They rounded the corner and saw a small group of Mayans talking by their bikes. There was a van similar to the one the Sons used parked nearby.

Happy led the way, his hand on his gun the entire time. Jax's heart was racing and his palms were sweating. He watched Clay approach Alvarez, who wore a grin.

"What's this about?" Happy growled, his gun drawn now. Chibs stood slightly to the side of Happy, hand on his weapon. Everyone was apprehensive about standing toe-to-toe with their enemy, whether they were in a ceasefire or not.

Alvarez laughed. "No need to be so worried, boys. I mean you no harm." He turned to Clay. "I understand what it's like to run a Club. Having so many lives you're responsible for. That's why I'm doing this. We may have battles, we may occasionally be at war with each other. But our laws need to be upheld. I would expect the same from you."

Clay nodded. Satisfied, Alvarez walked over to the van, pulling open the back door. There, lying on the floor bound and gagged, was the prospect that had shot Tig. He looked up at Alvarez, who stepped aside to reveal Clay standing there, a vicious smile on his face. "This is better than candy!" he cried, turning to his brothers. He slowly faced the Mayan prospect again, his blue eyes blazing.

The sight of the President of SAMCRO sent the hostage into a frenzy. He started making muffled screams. The man fell to his back in an attempt to get away from the Tacoma Killer, who was reaching for him with a smile. Not many people saw Happy smile. It was absolutely terrifying.

Clay clapped Alvarez on the back, a grin on his face. "Marcus. This is the best gift I've ever received." He held out his hand and Alvarez shook it.

"You're welcome. But I do want to ask something of you." Clay looked at him curiously and he continued. "I want you to be open to a peace talk. We're not young men, Clay. And our young men can't continue worrying about their lives the way they have been recently."

Clay looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "What about the Niner beef you have? Our guns have been going to Laroy's crew for years." He agreed with Alvarez that peace needed to be reached. But he couldn't afford to lose the business connection with the Niners.

Alvarez shook his head. "Like I said. I've been having some conversations with Laroy lately. We're close to coming to an agreement. The Chinese are pushing into both of our territories, and we're willing to stop our conflict with each other and combine our efforts to stop them. But this is neither the time nor the place to talk about it. Give Laroy a call, get any confirmation you need, then let me know."

Clay nodded, shaking the other President's hand. "Sounds good. And thank you again for this." Alvarez nodded. Happy had dragged the Mayan prospect out of the van and had a gun to his head. With one final look, Alvarez led his crew away.

The Sons circled around the Mayan, who was missing his cut, as the sounds of motorcycles faded in the distance. He was whimpering on the ground with is eyes shut. Clay kicked him with the toe of one of his boots. "Well, well, well. Boys, what should we do with this piece of shit?"

Bobby shook his head. "Kill him and get it over with. Bury him out here somewhere deep."

"I think I have a solution, Clay." Happy growled. He knew the President's concerns about Jax and Opie. This was perfect. He glanced down at the Prospect, then up at his brothers. "A prospect started it…" he hinted.

Clay's eyes went wide. "And a prospect will finish it," he concluded, mentally kicking himself for not thinking about it first. He turned to Jax and Opie, who were both pale. He pulled out the gun he had at his waist, holding the butt out to the two prospects. "Who's it gonna be, boys?" their President demanded.

* * *

**Heavy stuff. And the next is gonna be just as heavy. I hope you all enjoyed this. I know I've made it known in the story before just how much Lennan loves Tig, but I feel that this really showed it.**

**I did a little research about gunshot wounds and if they need surgery. And I also used Wikipedia to find Charming's exact location, then Google maps. I wanted the SAMCRO and Mayan's meeting spot to be as geographically correct as possible. If any of you are in California, or if anyone is a nurse/doctor, please excuse any errors. I've never been farther west than the Nashville and I lean more toward law than medicine.**

**Also, this is a building point for Lennan and Jax's relationship. Him comforting her in her time of need will really make her think in the next few chapters.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Have a nice day!**


	6. Author's Note

I am so sorry that it has taken so long for me to update, guys! You all have been my good luck charm. Shortly after I began to post, I got a job in my field, and I've been getting used to the early hours and the work load. Waking up at four in the morning combined with house hunting make for a very tired girl. But now that things have settled down and now that I have myself a new computer, expect an update soon.

I want you all to know that I haven't given up on Lennan. Not at all. Her story still bounces around in my head daily. I just have been too distracted lately to give her the life she deserves, and the story all of you deserve.

I love you all, and thank you so much for sticking with me this long. For those of you who have followed Lennan's progress even though I haven't updated lately, thank you so, so much. And if I have lost some of you along the way, I hope to win you back very soon.


	7. Chapter 5: Bohemian Rhapsody

**Wow! It has been FOR-EV-ER since I have updated! It's been a hectic year. I got a big girl job, bought a house, got a doggy and got engaged! But, I've been feeling the urge to continue Lennan's story. I just apologize that it's taken so long! But thank you everyone who has stuck with Lennan and her story! It will continue and it has NOT died off.**

* * *

Shortly after news of Tig's condition had come, SAMCRO left the hospital to 'deal with business'. Lennan wasn't foolish enough to believe that it was anything but retaliation, and it surprised her a little at how happy she was that the situation was going to be taken care of. She would never admit it to anyone, but she was morbidly satisfied that the man who had shot her father would meet his end. She began to wonder when her thoughts had become so cold and malicious. She knew she was desensitized, in a way, having been raised around death and violence. But she didn't like the fact that she was finding peace in the impending death of another human being.

So when a friendly looking nurse had come to her almost an hour later, Lennan was grateful to replace her thoughts of death and revenge with the task of seeing her mending father. She and Gemma had been led to Tig's room while Piney and Otto trailed behind a short distance. The nurse tried to protest, reiterating the hospital policy that stated only two visitors could be with a healing patient at a time. Piney had then looked the nurse in the eye, telling her that he didn't give a flying fuck about hospital policy because SAMCRO policy trumped it. He then went on to add that if she had a problem with it, she could suck a certain part of his anatomy. The nurse had blushed a deep red and Lennan hid her giggle behind her hand as Gemma shot the old man a smirk.

They were able to make it to Tig's room without any more objection. He had been asleep with an IV line in one arm and a blood pressure cuff on the other. Aside from being a little pale, Lennan thought he looked good. She and Gemma had sat there for about an hour, softly talking, while Otto and Piney stood guard at the door. Eventually, the matriarch couldn't stand to just sit around doing nothing anymore, so she departed to the cafeteria to grab a cup of coffee and to make a phone call. That left Lennan alone when she noticed her father come back to consciousness.

Now, as she looked up into the just awakening tired blue eyes of her father, Lennan's face broke into a smile. She scooted her chair closer to his bed and took his large, ringed hand between both of her small bare ones. "Hi, daddy," she said softly. "You scared us there for a minute."

Tig grinned at her. "Nothing to worry about, baby girl. Just a scratch." He chuckled as she shot him a withering look before rolling her eyes and laughing. "Really though, princess. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He brought one of her hands up and kissed it.

Lennan felt tears prick at her eyes as she looked at her father. "Why weren't you wearing your vest daddy? The guys said that they thought you were wearing it."

Tig shrugged. "I didn't think I would need it," he said simply. He would never tell her, or anyone else for that matter, the truth. When she had been sleeping so peacefully against his shoulder the night before, he hadn't wanted to wake her. His vest was at home, and by the time he and Otto were to leave, there was no time for him to grab it. He would wear the damn thing 24/7 from now on if that meant sparing her any guilt he absolutely knew she would feel if he told her.

Lennan looked as if she didn't fully believe him, but didn't want to question him while he was lying in a hospital bed. Instead, she said, "Well, next time, wear it please." Tig smiled at her and gave a thumbs up.

They sat there in a comfortable silence for a moment, only the beeping of the machines he was connected to making any noise. Finally, he asked her where the guys were.

"I don't know specifics," she said, looking down. "They left before Gemma and I were able to come see you. But I'm almost positive it had something to do with this." She gestured at her father, who gave her a nod.

Tig heaved a sigh. "I don't think we give you enough credit, princess." He chuckled slightly at the confused look crossing over Lennan's face. "You're a lot smarter than we like to admit. You figure shit out in a snap and you take it all in stride when you do. I know that this isn't the best life. There's so much danger. You have to stay on your toes constantly or you wind up either in a hospital bed or in the morgue. But I've tried to give you the best life I can."

Lennan nodded at her father, squeezing his hands. "I know you have daddy. And I couldn't ask for a better life. I see the way the others in Charming live. Like the Hales. And the Oswalds. And I think all the time how boring it would be to have to go through the same routine every damn day. I love the life you've given me. I love our family. Gemma, the guys. Jax and Opie. I'm so grateful that you brought me into your life without even blinking."

Tig gave her a small smile. "Jax, huh?" he asked. He laughed when his daughter blushed. "What's going on with you two, anyway?" Tig couldn't remember much about when he had been shot. All he knew was that he was on his bike waiting at the stoplight with the cargo and his brothers, then all of a sudden he was thrown to the ground from the force of the shot. His head had started swimming from smacking onto the pavement. Before he had lost consciousness, though, he remembered someone screaming his name. The fuzzy image of Jax's concerned face had been the last thing he saw. The boy may have been just a prospect, but Tig knew that he was going to be a damn good brother. His acceptance of his daughter's relationship with the blonde was increasing a little.

"We're just taking it slow and seeing where things go, daddy," Lennan told him, running her hand through her messy mahogany hair.

Tig nodded, squeezing her hand. "If he ever hurts you, princess, I'll kill him," he said, only half joking. He looked thoughtful for a moment before adding, "Actually, I think I'd have to beat Gemma to it."

As if on cue, the matriarch strolled into the room carrying two cups of coffee. Seeing Tig awake, she stopped and gave a grin. "Glad to see you awake, Tigger." She walked over and handed one of the cups she was carrying to Lennan before kissing Tig on the cheek.

"Hey, Gem," he responded with a grin.

Gemma took a seat in the empty chair next to Lennan's and crossed her legs. The matriarch put one manicured hand on the young girl's knee and smiled. "Did you want something to eat, sweetheart? I can go back to the cafeteria and grab you a sandwich or something?"

Lennan took a sip of her coffee before shaking her head and returning Gemma's smile. "No, thank you. I don't think I could eat. I'm still getting over my nerves." She squeezed her dad's hand reflexively, not even realizing what she was doing.

Tig grinned at the two women. "I told you, princess. Just a scratch."

Gemma took a sip from her cup as she eyed the father and daughter for a moment. Finally, she sighed and sat the cup on the floor by her chair. Leaning forward with her elbow on her knee, she looked Tig in the eye, saying, "I think you should know that the boys went after the guy who did this to you." Tig nodded, looking at her expectantly. "It's been taken care of," she said softly.

Lennan looked at her father. Tig's eyes had taken on a feral glow, and there was a cruel twist to his lips. She was surprised for a second, not used to seeing this side of him. But her surprise turned into relief at the realization that the one put him here was gone.

"Good," Tig said, nodding slightly.

Lennan's felt her stomach fill with acid and her heart began to pound as a thought slammed into her. All the men were out for blood because of what had happened to her father. She knew that Happy was the enforcer, and most likely the one to carry out something like this, but for some reason, she was afraid. Lennan looked at Gemma, who stared back with somber eyes.

"Who shot my dad?" she asked first. She was curious.

Gemma sighed. "A Mayan prospect. He was running an errand for their President and saw the guys. He thought that maybe taking one down would get him patched in quicker."

"Shit," Tig muttered. He was pissed at himself that he hadn't been paying attention. He was pissed at himself that he hadn't sucked it up and went to get his damn vest after he and Otto left Clay's. He ran a hand over his face, his blue eyes blazing.

"Who killed him?" Lennan asked softly. She unconsciously squeezed her father's hand again, drawing his attention. He noticed how pale his daughter had become.

"Sweetheart," Gemma began, uncomfortable. She really didn't want to share this information with her. In this life, the women could either know everything or nothing. If she told Lennan, it might send her running.

"Who, Gemma?" Lennan firmly repeated.

Gemma looked at Tig, who stared at his daughter for a moment before looking back at his friend. He closed his eyes and gave a subtle nod, signaling her to say it.

The matriarch looked back at Lennan, whose defiant stare surprised her. "They decided since it was a prospect that started it, it would be a prospect to finish it." Lennan's eyes grew wide as Gemma finished. "It was Jax, baby."

Lennan put a hand to her mouth. She didn't realize she was shaking until Gemma put a steadying arm on her. Lennan felt lightheaded. She didn't know what to say, or think, or do.

Jax had killed someone. She knew that her father had killed people. She knew all the guys in the Club had. Hell, she was pretty sure even Gemma had a small body count. She knew Happy's role in the Club was to "take out" enemies. Her father had gotten drunk one night a few months before and had explained to her the meaning of Happy's smiley face tattoos. It didn't bother her, because she knew she had nothing to fear from the Tacoma Killer. She knew she didn't have anything to fear from any of the brothers.

But Jax. He was only eighteen. He was a prospect. In the back of her mind, she knew that one day this was going to happen. But she hadn't expected it to be so soon. She knew why it had to be Jax. Opie was so quiet and caring. If he were the one that was picked for the task, he wouldn't have been able to go through with it. And if that happened, not matter who his father was, Clay would see his disobeying orders as a reason to kick him out. Jax wouldn't have let that happen. So either way, it was him the burden fell on.

Lennan felt a tightening in her chest just before she felt her father's hand tighten on hers. And, looking up into the eyes of Queen Gemma, she took little comfort in knowing hers wasn't the only heart breaking.

* * *

Lennan stayed with her father until dinner time, when Piney and Clay came in to see him. Gemma had left hours before to go check on the shop and Tig began nagging his daughter to go home and get some sleep. She kissed him goodbye, promising to come visit him first thing in the morning. After quick hugs to both Clay and Piney, she made her way out of the hospital room and wandered down the halls, lost in her thoughts.

Lennan slowly walked through the hospital, keeping next to the wall. She wasn't seeing or hearing anything, just thinking about the events of the past day. She was both physically and mentally exhausted. The girl was running on coffee and soda, having not eaten since the popcorn and ice cream with Gemma the night before. But she wasn't hungry.

Her thoughts jumped from her father, who was most likely being debriefed by the President and Vice President, to Jax. Her Jax. They hadn't spoken all day. Clay had told Gemma earlier that as soon as the guys got back to the clubhouse, Jax had gone up to the roof and no one had seen him since.

She was worrying about him. She knew that he was probably traumatized. Lennan's hand was reaching into her purse for her phone to text the blonde heartthrob when she suddenly smacked right into someone. She would have fallen on her butt if a pair of frail looking hands hadn't grabbed her by her arms with surprising strength.

Looking up, Lennan's gaze was met by the kind and concerned eyes of Chief Wayne Unser. "You alright, Lennan?" he ask, giving her a small smile and releasing her arms when he saw she was steady.

Lennan gave him a sheepish smile back. "Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess I went somewhere inside my head and wasn't paying attention," she muttered, playing with the snag on her sweater sleeve she had gotten the night before.

Unser gave her a sympathetic look. "I heard about your dad. That's some awful shit. How's he doing?" The Chief was a longtime friend of the Club, and while they may butt heads occasionally, he genuinely cared about its members.

"He's ok. They got the bullet out, and he's on the mend now. Another week and he should be out of here," Lennan answered with a small smile. "I just left him so he could talk to Clay and Piney."

Unser nodded, looking down at the tired young girl. She looked like she needed some serious sleep. "I was just about to head down to the shop to see Gemma. I know you probably came with her. Do you want a ride to the Clubhouse?" he offered.

"Sure," Lennan responded gratefully. She hadn't thought about how she would get back. The Chief had just solved a problem she didn't know she had. He shot her another kind smile and they made their way through the halls toward the front of the hospital.

As they passed the information desk, Lennan stopped abruptly. The same young nurse from the night before was there, filing her nails with a dollar store nail file. Lennan placed a small hand on the Chief's shoulder, halting him. He looked at her questioningly, but nodded when she held up a finger, indicating for him to wait a moment.

Lennan silently made her way to the desk, not drawing the attention of the nurse, who was so engrossed in making sure her pinky nails were even that she didn't notice the girl's approach. Lennan came to the desk, glaring at the nurse for a moment before reaching over and grabbing the nail file.

The nurse jumped and looked up, her eyes narrowing as she recognized Lennan. She opened her mouth to speak, but Lennan cut across her. "The next time you have a frantic family come in asking for information, put your prejudices aside and do your fucking job." She snapped the nail file in half, tossing it on the desk in front of the nurse. "And if you ever get in my goddamn way again, it won't be a bunch of bikers you'll have to worry about," she finished venomously. Lennan turned on her heel and stalked back to the Chief, who stared at her with a raised brow.

As they made their way to his cruiser, Unser said, "I assume you don't like her."

Lennan gave a dark chuckle and yanked the passenger door open. "You assumed correctly, Chief," she stated, crawling in and slamming the door.

* * *

Unser drove the short distance to the lot and parked next to Gemma's Cadillac. The two exited the car, Unser wishing her well and Lennan thanking him for both his words and the ride, before heading in opposite directions: Unser to see Gemma and Lennan to find Jax.

Making her way across the lot, Lennan nodded to a crow eater who greeted her and entered the clubhouse. Otto was sitting at the bar in a drunken stupor while Chibs played pool with a crow eater and a hang-around. Lennan dragged her hand through her hair, wondering where to check first.

The jukebox was playing, and there was a shuffling sound as it switched to the next song. The soft piano began to play, and Lennan was momentarily distracted by it. She knew the song, she just couldn't place it. As the first lines were crooned, her eyes went wide.

The piano played again, and the voice answered. _Mama, just killed a man. Put a gun against his head. Pulled my trigger now he's dead. _Lennan groaned as "Bohemian Rhapsody" continued to play, putting her face in her hands for a moment.

"He's in his dorm," a voice said quietly. Lennan looked up, seeing the tall form of Opie standing over her. His face was pinched in worry. His long hair had obviously been run through with his hands several times. He looked down at her with sadness.

Lennan took his hands in hers, looking up into his hazel eyes. "It'll be okay, Ope," she said quietly. He shut his eyes and nodded before pulling her into a tight, quick hug.

Pulling away, he heaved a sigh. "He won't let anyone in. But maybe you can get through to him," he suggested. Lennan nodded, giving his hands one last squeeze before heading down the hallway toward the dorms.

She passed JT's old blue Knucklehead on her way. Jax and Opie had just finished repairing it the summer before, and it was a beauty. She reverently touched one of the handlebars, silently asking JT to help her comfort his son, before making her way to the end of the hall.

Lennan placed her hand on the knob of Jax's door and attempted to turn it, only to find it locked. She took a deep breath and knocked lightly. She waited for a dozen seconds before knocking again.

"Go the fuck away," came Jax's shout on the other side. Lennan jumped when she heard what she suspected to be a shoe slap the inside of the door.

"Jax," she said quietly. "It's me, baby."

There was a short pause, maybe about ten seconds, before she heard shuffling inside the room. The lock clicked and the door opened, revealing a drunken Jax on the other side. He stepped aside just enough for her to walk in before he slammed the door shut, locking it again.

Lennan walked over to the bed, noticing the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels on the nightstand. She sat down and looked up at him. Jax stood with his forehead pressed to the door, his back to her, breathing heavy. After a long moment, he finally turned and made his way to the bed next to her. He sat down without making eye contact.

"I heard Tig is awake," he said in a voice so low, Lennan had to struggle to hear. Jax glanced up at her and her heart tore in half seeing his eyes red rimmed.

Lennan tried to smile. "Yeah. He's already wanting to leave. Says the food is shit," she admitted, giving a small chuckle. Jax gave her a ghost of a smile before turning to look at his hands. "Jax," she said softly. He gave her no response, just continued to look down at his hands.

Lennan grabbed his right hand, pulling it up to her mouth slowly. Jax still didn't look at her. "Jax," she repeated, kissing his knuckles. He shut his eyes and shivered. "Gemma told me."

At this, his eyes snapped up to hers and he yanked his hand back. The blue orbs were wide and full of shame and nightmares. "She told you what?" he asked slowly, breathing heavily again. He ran the hand that Lennan had just kissed through his hair.  
"About the Mayan prospect," Lennan confirmed.

Jax shivered again, his eyes wide. She could see them switch from shame to fear and anger in an instant. He put his face in his hands, heaving a shaky breath.

"Jax," Lennan said, scooting closer. She laid her hand on his back. He flinched, but neither of them pulled away. "It's okay."

The tormented blonde started shaking his head, slowly at first, then faster until Lennan was surprised his neck didn't snap. "No," he said. His voice was haunted and hollow. "No. No. Nonononono. NO!" he finally shouted, rising to his feet and turning on her. Tears were streaming down his face, his hair wild. "How is it fucking okay, Lennan! I killed someone!" he screamed.

Lennan didn't flinch at his anger, knowing that it wasn't directed at her, and knowing this was what he needed. Jax wasn't the emotionless killer Happy was. He wasn't the seasoned biker like the rest of SAMCRO boasted to be. Jax was ruled by his head as well as his heart. He was logical and sometimes too smart for his own good.

But right now, Jax needed to vent. And Lennan listened as he let it all out.

Jax angrily paced back and forth in front of her, gripping at his hair with both hands. "I shot him dead, Lennan. He looked up at me. He fucking begged me not to do it. He wasn't much older than I am." He stopped pacing and looked her in the eye. "I put the gun to his forehead and I pulled the fucking trigger, Lennan. I've never killed anyone before," he whispered, looking at his hands. "The blood. The brains. It was everywhere." He rubbed his hands over his face. "It got on me. My hands. My face. I had no idea that by shooting someone in the head I could get blood on me. But I did."

He turned to her, his eyes brimming with tears, his long blonde hair greasy and spiking in every direction. Lennan looked at him, refusing to show him pity. She knew it would just make him angry. Instead, she slowly held out her arms to him. Her face only showed love and understanding. None of the pride he had hated to see in his stepfather's eyes, or the appreciation in Happy's.

Jax took a stumbling step toward Lennan, letting his tears fall in fat drops down his cheeks. Lennan gave him a small nod, and it was as if he had been held up by a string which was abruptly cut. Jax fell to his knees in front of her, burying his face in her chest and holding her in his arms in a crushing embrace. He took a long, shuttering breath, then released a loud, heart-wrenching sob. Lennan felt tears run down her own face as she wrapped her arms around him, rubbing her cheek into his hair.

Jax continued to sob, gripping at the back of Lennan's sweater with both hands, bunching the fabric until it lifted up her back. He released sob after sob along with a flood of tears. "He was someone's son," he screamed into her chest. "He could have been a father, and I killed him!"

Lennan let him yell. She stroked his back, noticing that he wasn't wearing his cut. "Jax," she started. She leaned back a little bit and wedged a hand on either side of his face. He continued to sob, trying to force himself back into the space between her breasts. "Look at me," she said sternly. Jax's red rimmed baby blues reluctantly met her determined eyes of such similar color.

She rubbed her hand over his face, brushing away some of the tears. "You did what you had to do, Jax." He started shaking his head, opening his mouth to protest. She cut across him before he could even utter a syllable. "Jackson. That prospect shot my father. Your brother. _He _wasn't worried about the fact that Tig is a dad, that he's someone's son. He wanted the kill to patch in. _You _retaliated. _You _showed loyalty to your club, to my dad. To me. Jax, you protected your own. Do you really think if he heard that my dad had survived, he wouldn't try to finish it?" she asked.

Jax's sobs had stopped while he listened to her talk. He shook his head. "Exactly. He would have tried to fix his mistake. I may not be well versed on Club politics, but I sure as hell know enough that if something like he did is done without a President's permission, then retaliation is expected. Did the Mayan President order the hit?" Jax shook his head again, his tears completely finished flowing. He was now looking at her with a sense of wonder. Lennan smiled. "Exactly. The prospect knew that he acted on his own. If the Mayans didn't let you retaliate, it would bring war."

Jax nodded. "See?" Lennan continued. "If he was innocent, then you acting like this would be right. But he knew what he was getting into when he decided to prospect. And he knew what he was getting into when he decided to try and gun down my dad."

Jax knew she was right. The guy had fought before he was brought to his knees with a gun to his head. This was the way things were in the life. Kill or be killed. He had just needed Lennan to show him that.

He looked at her as she smiled at him, her tiny white teeth glimmering in the dull light of the dorm room. Jax gently raise a hand to her face, loving the way she automatically leaned into his touch. He stood up, taking her hand in his and tugging until she stood with him.

Jax stared at her for a long moment before crushing his lips to hers. She gave a little yelp of surprise before pulling her arms up to loop around his neck. Jax moaned against her lips as she opened him up to her cinnamon taste and ran her hands through the hair at the base of his neck.

He pushed her to the bed. She fell onto her back and smiled up at him. He smirked at her and crawled on top of her, one hand on the small of her back pressing her to him. He used the other to bunch her long hair at the base of her neck as he pressed her into another heated kiss. She moaned into his mouth, feeling his erection pressed against her thigh.

Jax sucked on her bottom lip, biting it a little. Her gasp made his head spin. As he thrust his tongue into her mouth, he felt her small, warm hands snake beneath his shirt, her small nails clawing at his back. He groaned, breaking their kiss just long enough to pull the shirt over his head and toss it on the floor.

Lennan watched as he did, quickly running her hands over his beautiful body before he slammed his lips back down onto hers. He started to kiss her jaw, her eyes, her nose, then worked his way down to her neck. Lennan moaned his name, and his large hand reached under her sweater to grab at one of her breasts. Her breaths came in pants and he swirled his tongue around the pulse point at her neck and he massaged her breast.

Jax was rock hard as he nibbled on her neck. He pulled his lips from her skin and tugged at the hem of her sweater. Lennan lifted her hands over her head and he pulled it off of her. As she fell back onto the pillows, her hair fanned out. Jax stopped suddenly, looking down at her. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes sparkling with lust. There was a growing bruise on her neck from him.

Jax looked down at her body. Her breasts were big enough that he wouldn't be able to fit one in his hand, her ribcage narrow, leading down to a stomach that had just the right amount of meat on it, and hips that flared enough to make a man thank God for the gift of women. Her yoga pants rode low on her hips, the lace of her underwear peeking through. Jax could see that the color matched her maroon bra.

"God," he mumbled huskily. "You're so fucking beautiful." Lennan blushed and smiled up at him. Jax lowered his head, licking at the swell of one a breast. Lennan moaned, running her hand through his hair. He nipped and nibbled at the pale skin, watching in wonder as it pinkened.

Lennan pulled his face up with her hands. Jax looked at her questioningly as she lowered the straps of her bra. She pulled it the rest of the way down, her breasts falling free. Jax's eyes almost bulged from his head, making her laugh.

He slowly cupped one in his hand, watching her face as her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she said his name on a breathy moan. He bent his head, closing his mouth over a nipple, sucking on it while he bunched Lennan's hair at the back of her head with one hand and ran his other over her stomach.

Lennan arched her back, clawing at his shoulders. She ran her hand down his chest, feeling him shiver as she reached the waistband of his pants. She wedged her tiny hand in between his skin and the denim. It was his turn to moan as she wrapped around his dick, her eyes growing wide when she realized he was so hard and so big that her fingers didn't touch. She gave it a stroke and he rested his head on her collarbone, panting.

Jax looked up into her eyes. She stared back at him with a little apprehension. Even through his haze of lust, Jax was able to recognize it. He knew it would be her first time. He sighed, realizing that if he saw her apprehension, it wasn't right.

He gently pulled her hand out of his pants. Sitting up, but still straddling her, he heaved a sigh and ran a hand over his face. "Jax?" her small voice asked, causing him to look down at her.

Making a decision, Jax moved so that he was able to lay next to her. He pulled her into his arms, her head in the crook of his neck. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. Jax rubbed his hand over her bare back, both loving and hating the feeling of her bare breasts against his own naked chest chest.

"Darlin'. I want our first time to be perfect. Not after your dad's been shot and I've just killed a guy," he said. Lennan sighed, knowing he was right.

She snuggled into him, loving the feel of him against her. "Lay with me for a while then?" she asked. She was exhausted, and she was starting to feel her eyes get heavy. She had dealt with so much today, and it was finally taking its toll.

Jax hugged her closer to his body, feeling her breathing start to even out. He kissed the top of her head and murmured, "There's nowhere else I'd rather be, darlin'."

* * *

**And here it is! Chapter 5! Let me know what you think! Reviews would be very helpful since it's been so long. And I'd like to know what you all think about Jax being the one to stop things from moving forward too quickly.**


	8. Chapter 6: Ice Cream Paint Job

**Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter! It's a bit of a filler, but it does have some Jax/Lennan moments and Tig/Lennan moments too!. Plus, we get introduced to a familiar character and hear references to another.**

**First, though, responses to the comments:**

**Sue: Thank you for reading! I'm still trying to figure out if Jax will stay faithful, or live up to what he's been made out to be in my story. But I understand what the frustration would be if he did cheat.**

**Foreverkee: I can't wait either! :)**

**LuluQ: Thank you so much! I try to make it as well written as I can, because I want to give you guys the best. And I'm proud of Jax for stopping it. I know he's out of character in my story a bit, but I justify it as he's younger, and he hasn't gone through the heartache Tara put him through when she left. So he's not broken. Not that I think real Jax would take advantage of Lennan, or any woman, like that lol**

**Guest: Merry Late Christmas! And thank you for sticking with it this long! :)**

**Fire1: I cried a little writing this, I'm not gonna lie lol**

**crazygirl1980: You're right! It's not all about sex, and Jax is realizing it.**

**Storylover00: Thank you!**

**SomebodyWhoCares: Isn't he the cutest? :)**

**AlyBean: Thank you! And yes! He's seeing that Lennan is good for him, and he doesn't want to take advantage of her in any way.**

**KJ0060203: Welcome to the dark side. lol And thank you so much for enjoying the story! I'm trying to paint a softer side of Tig. I wanted to show how I think he would feel and act if he actually had been around his daughters while they were growing up. I think Tig has a good heart, but that he just followed Clay blindly.**

**Kyokkou: Thank you for sticking with it! I'm glad you're enjoying it. And I definitely am thinking about a Tig/OC after Lennan and Jax's story is done. But I don't think that will be for a while. I see no end in site for this one. Lol but you'll be the first to know when I decide to begin writing it.**

**decadenceofmysoul: Thank you!**

**Okay, lol now to the story. I didn't edit this one as well as I usually do, because I have a cold and my head is exploding, but I wanted to give you guys something. If you see any errors, feel free to let me know. And I think I'm going to stick with an every Sunday updating schedule. Alright. Enough of my babbling. Enjoy!**

* * *

Lennan woke up the next morning to hunger pangs and a headache. Quickly taking in her surroundings, she realized that she was still in Jax's dorm room. But this time, she was alone. Groaning, she raised herself up onto her elbows to look at the clock on the dresser.

Her eyes grew wide when she realized she had slept for a full fourteen hours. Lennan flopped back onto the bed and rolled over, staring at the ceiling. After Jax had stopped their hot and heavy moment last night, she had apparently passed out and hadn't woken up since.

She groaned again, tossing back the covers and crawling out of the bed. She was thanking her lucky stars that Jax had insisted she designate a couple of drawers for herself in his dorm room as she dug around for a fresh change of clothes. After throwing her cutoff shorts and black tank top onto the bed, Lennan grabbed a pair of underwear, a bra, and a towel before going into the bathroom.

She took her time taking a shower, lathering her hair a couple of times before conditioning it well. She smirked at herself, thinking about how convenient it was that Jax kept his hair long. She didn't have to worry about hair care products at all. After rinsing her hair and washing her body his body wash, she shut off the water and stepped out into the chilly bathroom.

Lennan dried off, put on her underwear and bra. She was reaching for the spare toothbrush that was kept in the bathroom for her when the door swung open. She yelped, throwing the towel over herself and spinning around.

Jax was leaning against the doorframe with a smile on his face. Lennan released a sigh of relief before dropping her towel and turning back to grab her toothbrush. "You scared me," she said, placing a dollop of toothpaste onto the bristles and beginning to scrub her teeth.

Jax walked up behind her, placing his hands on her hips, painfully aware that she was standing in front of him in only her underwear. "I wanted to make sure you were okay," he said softly, pulling her wet hair aside and kissing the blue bruise on her neck from the night before.

Lennan nodded as she spit the toothpaste into the sink. She turned on the water to rinse off the toothbrush saying, "I'm okay. But I could eat a cow." She turned to face him and began brushing her hair with the hairbrush of his she found on the sink.

Jax smiled at her and took the hairbrush. He made her turn her back to him again before he started brushing her long hair out for her. Lennan closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. "Well, get dressed and I'll take you to breakfast. Then I'll drop you off at the hospital," he suggested.

He finished with her hair and sat the brush down on the sink. Lennan turned back to him and smiled. "That sounds like a great idea." Jax took her hand and led her out into the bedroom. He sat on the bed and watched as Lennan worked her hair into a braid.

"How are you?" she asked softly. She finished the braid and started pulling on her clothes.

"I'm a lot better than I was yesterday, that's for sure," Jax responded. "That's mostly because of you. Thank you, Lennan, for bringing me back from the edge." Lennan poked her head out from her tank top to find him staring at her.

She smiled and sat down on the bed next to him. She grabbed his hand and kissed it, then looked into his eyes. "Sometimes we're our own worst critic," she said. "You don't have to thank me, Jax. All I did was tell you the truth."

Jax smiled at her, putting his hand on her face. Lennan leaned into his touch, closing her eyes. He studied her face, the warm color of her skin with the small beauty mark in the middle of her right cheek. There was a dimple in her chin that he loved.

He released a sigh, causing her to open her eyes. She looked at him curiously, with a little bit of concern. Jax shook his head, continuing his caress. "Have I ever told you how lucky you make me feel?" he murmured. His thumb went to her lips, which had tilted up in a smile.

"Nope," she teasingly answered. "I don't think you have, blondie." Lennan kissed the pad of his thumb as it made a pass over her lips, causing Jax to shiver and smile.

He ran his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her face toward his. "Well. I'm just gonna have to keep reminding you, aren't I?" he asked, bringing his lips to hers. Her cinnamon taste was mixed with mint, causing him to sigh with contentment. His tongue met hers, dancing with each other for a moment before pulling back.

Jax rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed tightly. Lennan watched as he took a deep shuttering breath. "What's wrong, Jax?" she asked softly, pulling her hand through his hair.

Jax pulled back to look at her. He ran a ringed hand over his face, contemplating how to put his thoughts into words. "This is going to happen again," he finally said. "When I patch in, maybe even before, there will always be the chance that I'm going to have to murder someone." He stood up and started pacing, his anxiety coming back full force.

Lennan watched as Jax ran his hands through his hair. "You know," she said slowly as she watched him pace. "Murder is a funny word." Jax stopped and looked at her as if she was insane. She smirked back at him. "I didn't say killing someone was funny, Jax. I said the word 'murder' itself was interesting. What do you think of when you hear it?"

Jax looked at her in disbelief. He held his hands out at his sides and shook his head, shrugging. "I don't know. Killing someone? Breaking the law? Where are you going with this, Lennan?" he huffed.

Lennan snapped her fingers. "You said it, Jax. 'Breaking the law'. Murder's definition is only relevant to you in respect to the society you belong to." Jax looked at her with an eyebrow raised. Lennan sighed before continuing. "What's the name of your motorcycle club, Jax? Sons of Anarchy. Anarchy being the big word there. You guys don't conform to the rules set by society, right?" A look of understanding started to shine in his eyes. Lennan stood up and took his hands.

"Listen, Jax. I'm not saying that you should go and kill everyone who looks at you wrong. What I'm saying is that you need to start thinking about it like a brother. These men, like that Mayan, come into The Life, believing in whatever god they believe in, having their families, their wives and sons and daughters, live this Life with them. They don't give a shit about the laws that are enforced in this country. That's what an outlaw motorcycle club is, Jax. Anarchy. Living by your own sets of rules. Living the way you see fit. And if you're facing down the barrel of a gun that a Mayan or a skinhead has pointing at you, you fucking shoot back, no matter what society says. If you have to kill someone for your club, your family, you do. That's what a brotherhood does. You protect your family, Jax."

Jax stared at her for a long moment, his mouth slightly open. "Where the fuck did that come from?" he finally asked.

Lennan smirked at him and turned to put her shoes on. "While you and Opie were chasing tail and smoking weed, I was listening and learning. Did you know that National Geographic did an episode on the Club?" Jax's eyes went wide. Lennan laughed. "Yeah. They do them on all the big outlaw clubs. The Hell's Angels and their war with the Outlaws, big crime bosses." She finished tying her shoes and stood up, looking at him.

Jax smiled at her. "You never cease to find ways to surprise me."

Lennan winked. "Good. Gotta keep you interested, right?"

* * *

Lennan slid into the booth seat across from Jax. They had gone to Lumpy's for breakfast. The hostess sat their menus in front of them before hastily walking back to the podium. Lennan watched Jax roll his eyes.

As she opened up her menu, their waitress came to the table, cracking her gum and writing something on her notepad. "What can I get you to drink," she asked, glancing at the both of them. She did a double take when she saw Jax, then plastered a grin on her face.

Jax hid his snicker by rubbing his nose as Lennan rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh. "I'll take a coffee," he answered. He smirked at Lennan. "What about you, baby?"

The waitress's grin faltered when he used the endearment. Lennan looked up at her. "I'll take a coffee, too. With a water," she said sweetly. The waitress sighed and nodded before walking away. Lennan looked up at Jax. "Get that smug look off of your face, Jackson Teller. You know girls fawn over you where ever you go!"

Jax chuckled a little before looking at his menu. "Do I want eggs and bacon, or pancakes?" he mused, almost to himself. Lennan looked up from her own menu, about to tell him to get both, when two people walked into the restaurant behind him. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, drawing Jax's attention.

He began to turn around to see what she was staring at when she clamped her hand onto his. "Don't look," she hissed. The familiar brown headed individual held up two fingers to the hostess, who gathered a couple of menus before motioning the customers to follow.

Tara Knowles' blackened eyes locked on Lennan's surprised ones from across the room. Her face was bruised, a bandage on her nose. She narrowed her eyes when she noticed Lennan's hand on Jax's on top of the table.

Jax picked that time to look up. "Holy shit," he stated as Tara sat in a seat across from who Jax recognized as her father. "You did a fucking number on her," he laughed. Their waitress had come back with their drinks and was looking over her shoulder at Tara.

She turned back around, her eyes wide as she looked at Lennan. "You did that to her?" she asked. Lennan was surprised at the question, but nodded anyway. The waitress smirked as she pulled out her notepad. "Good. That bitch was in my Lit class last year. Spilled coffee all over my Vera Bradley backpack then laughed when I told her to replace it." She stopped and thought for a second, then smiled at Lennan. "When you're done, order whatever dessert you'd like to go. My treat."

* * *

Lennan stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway toward her father's hospital room. The scent of bacon slightly wafted from the Styrofoam container stuffed into her over-sized purse. She had decided to sneak her father in breakfast, but slightly regretted it at the thought of the contents of her bag smelling like bacon for days.

Jax had just dropped her off, leaving to go back to the clubhouse to talk to Clay. The blonde seemed a little better than he had the day before, but Lennan could tell he was still feeling slightly guilty. She didn't like the thought of killing someone. But she was glad that the man who shot her father was gone.

She shivered slightly when she remembered the hopeless feeling she had experienced the day before. The way her heart had clenched and her throat had closed had made her feel as if _she _would die. Her father was her savior, and she didn't know what she would do without him.

Shaking her head, Lennan told herself to stop thinking about that. He wasn't dying. He was probably trying to convince some nurse to give him a sponge bath. She turned a corner, chuckling at the thought, only to stop in her tracks.

Walking in her direction only a few feet in front of her was Josh Kohn. Lennan cringed slightly when his eyes landed on her and a lecherous grin formed on his lips. Forcing her feet to move, she was intending to breeze past him when his hand clasped around her bicep.

"Lennan," Kohn cheerfully, not releasing her arm. "What a coincidence seeing you here."

Lennan looked pointedly at his hand. When he didn't get the hint, she shrugged herself out of his grip, forcing a small smile to her lips. "That's the charm of a small town," she replied tightly.

Kohn's eyes were perusing her once again, lingering on her breasts and the small strip of tanned skin that was exposed between where her tank top ended and her shorts began. His stare made her skin crawl, and she forced herself not to heave a sigh of relief when his eyes finally made their way back up to her own.

"Yes. Charming is very small. But even so, this is an odd place to run into you," Kohn stated. He had a curious air about him. "Why are you here?" he inquired.

Lennan thought it was very rude of him to be asking a personal question like that when he didn't even know her. Pushing down her urge to snap at him, she said vaguely, "I'm visiting someone."

Kohn shot her an impatient look which she returned full force. His eyes narrowed slightly before he seemed to shake himself out of whatever his thoughts were. "I'm here to see my grandmother," he offered. Lennan couldn't help the small stab of sympathy in her chest. "Lung cancer. She's eighty, though. She's lived a good life."

Lennan looked at Kohn closely, wondering why he was telling her this. After a moment, she sighed. "My dad was working, and he got shot," she revealed. No way in hell would she tell him that her father had been shot by a rival club, but she figured that word travelled fast in this tiny town and it wouldn't be long until he found out anyway.

Kohn's eyes narrowed. "The biker at the end of the hall is your father?" Lennan looked at him with wide eyes, surprised and a little bit suspicious that he knew where her father's room was. "My grandma doesn't have much to do in here. Her nurse was talking to her earlier and mentioned it," he explained. "That's why I'm on this floor. I wanted to sneak a peek."

Lennan bristled. Before she had the opportunity to say something, however, he walked closer to her, bearing down on her. Kohn picked up her braid from her shoulder, caressing it with a thumb. "It's a shame, you know," he said quietly.

Lennan jerked away from him in disgust, placing her back against the wall. "What is a shame, may I ask," she hissed. She needed to get out of here before she wound up knocking his smug look off his face.

"That such a pretty girl could come from such trash," he claimed in a voice that said it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

Blue eyes blazed as Lennan drew herself up straighter. "Excuse me? As if you have any right to talk about _anyone _in this town. How dare you say something like that about my family! You're a stranger. An outsider. _A nobody_. SAMCRO is the farthest thing from trash, and if you had two brain cells to rub together, you would fucking know that. Go fuck yourself," she all but yelled.

Her temper was kicked into overdrive. This outsider had just insulted the greatest man she had ever known, and he did so smugly. She realized that her intuition about him was correct. All he was was a judgmental prick and she hated him.

As Lennan moved to get past, Kohn grabbed her arm again. This time, he held so tightly she knew she would bruise. She shot him a glare. He smirked, saying, "What are you gonna do, huh? Get one of your big bad biker buddies to come and teach me a lesson?"

Thinking of Happy's smiley face tattoos and his cold demeanor, Lennan flashed Kohn a feral grin that was the perfect replica of her father's. "Actually," she said coolly. "I know a guy that would strap you into a chair and gut you while humming "Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. If you don't get your hand off of me, I _will _cut it off and it _will _be shoved down your throat."

Kohn's eyes widened slightly but he released his hold on her arm. "Did you just threaten me?" he growled, stepping into her space again.

Lennan looked up at him defiantly, not breaking his gaze. "You don't intimidate me, Kohn. All you are is a little boy with a big fucking ego. I'm not threatening you. Just warning you. And in case you get any ideas, I don't need an outlaw to handle my shit for me. Now get out of my goddamn face." She restrained herself from spitting on him as she shoved him away from her with both hands.

He stumbled and looked at her with fury. Lennan smirked and turned on her heel, stomping the rest of the way down the hall to her father's room without looking back. She stopped outside of the door, taking a deep breath to collect herself before walking in.

Tig was reclined on his pillows, watching a cartoon on the television that was mounted from the ceiling in front of him. He started laughing when the when one of the characters started chasing the other with a hammer. Lennan looked closer and saw that it was Tom and Jerry, smiling as memories of her and her father sitting on the couch in the living room watching the cat and mouse's antics.

The crazy-eyed biker looked up to see his smiling daughter staring at him. A large grin spread over his face. "Baby girl!" Lennan stepped closer and placed her bag onto the visitor's chair before going over and giving her dad a hug. He squeezed her tightly and kissed the top of her head. As she pulled away, Tig looked at her curiously. "Princess, do I smell bacon?"

Lennan laughed. "I swear, dad. You have the nose of a damn bloodhound." She went over to her purse, reached in and pulled out the Styrofoam container. Tig's eyes grew wide and happy, reaching for it like a child about to get a piece of candy.

She handed him the container and he opened it quickly, his eyes nearly rolling in the back of his head when he saw the heap of bacon and hash browns. "You're the best daughter in the world," he claimed, sighing as he bit into a strip of meat.

Lennan shook her head and handed him a fork and a couple of packets of ketchup from the side pocket of her bag before sitting down and looking at him. "You act like they're starving you," she commented.

Her dad threw her a playful glare as he squirted ketchup onto the pile of hash browns. "They might as well be. You haven't been in the hospital since you got your tonsils out. Even then, you got fucking ice cream. Last night they tried to feed me turkey meatloaf. Who the hell eats turkey like that! I tried it and it was so bland and dry I almost barfed."

Lennan rolled her eyes and laughed. He was totally starting to feel better. She sat silently, her eyes on Tom and Jerry as her dad ate his breakfast.

"So," he commented after a moment, taking a swig of the water on the table next to his bed. He was dying for a beer and a joint, but he didn't think Lennan would smuggle them in. His eyes widened when he got the wonderful idea to ask Bobby for a batch of hash-brownies. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to his daughter, who was staring at him as if she knew exactly what was going through his brain. "How's it going, princess?"

Lennan sighed, deciding it might be best to tell him about her little altercation with Kohn moments ago. "You remember that creepy guy that showed up at the garage the other day?" Tig nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Well," she continued. "I just saw him in the hallway on the way in here. He said something about his grandma telling him that a biker was here. He came up to this floor to see if he could 'get a peek'." Tig's eyes flashed with anger. "He then proceeded to tell me that it was a shame that I came from such… trash," her voice cracked at the word, her heart aching for every time someone had had the audacity to tell her that, and breaking for how untrue it was. "I told him to fuck off. He asked if I would get my biker buddies to teach him a lesson. I alluded to the fact that Happy is psychotic. Then he grabbed me."

Tig's face was now showing full blown fury. "He grabbed you?" he fumed. "Give me the little prick's description. I'll hunt him down right fucking now and beat him to a pulp with my IV stand." He set the carryout container on the table next to him and threw back his covers. He was starting to stand when Lennan hopped out of her chair and ran over, gently pushing him back down into bed.

"Stop it, daddy," she said, ignoring his glare. She covered him back up before handing him the still half-full container of food. "I made it clear to him that I didn't need the Club to handle my shit, and that if he got anymore bright ideas, I wouldn't mind showing him how terrifying I can actually be."

Tig looked a little appeased by the thought, so he settled back down against his pillows and picked up another piece of bacon. "You still got that switchblade I gave you?" he asked as he chewed. He had gotten her one for her birthday last year, knowing she couldn't carry a gun to school with her, but not wanting to leave her unprotected. He knew she would never do anything stupid with it, and the only other people who knew that she carried it were Jax, Opie, and Gemma.

Lennan nodded with a grin. "Damn right," she said. "I always have it on me."

Tig looked satisfied by her answer. "Still," he finally said. "I don't want you alone until we find out more about this guy. You stay with Jax or Gemma when you go somewhere. Kyle comes back from his vacation in a couple of days. Write down this kid's name and I'll have him make a couple of calls to see what he can find."

Lennan groaned at the name. It was no secret that she loathed Kyle Hobart. The man was part of SAMCRO and a few years younger. He had an eight year old son and a pregnant wife, but he screwed around on her constantly. One of the rules of the Club was 'what happens on a run, stays on a run'. Lennan knew that. But recently, Kyle had taken to being unfaithful right under his wife's nose. It was disgusting.

April was the sweetest, most unassuming woman ever who believed that even though her husband was a criminal, he was a good man. Lennan knew otherwise and it was really difficult for her to keep her comments to herself. It didn't help that Kyle seemed to hold the same dislike for Lennan as the young girl had for him. Except that didn't stop his leers.

Tig looked at his daughter's grimace, misinterpreting her disgust at Kyle for annoyance at her constant chaperone. "Princess. I know you don't like being babysat. But I want you to be safe." He dragged a hand through his wild hair. "It makes me feel like complete shit that I'm stuck here in a fucking hospital bed and can't even protect my own child."

Lennan stood up and walked over to his bed. She took his big hand in her tiny ones and perched on the side of the uncomfortable mattress. "Daddy. Don't think that way. You are protecting me. Getting Kyle to look up Kohn. Making sure I have a way to protect myself. And I know that you'll make damn sure that I'm always with someone."

Tig looked at her and gave a small smile before kissing both of her hands. "I love you, baby girl. I fucked up so bad with Dawn and Fawn. I never thought I could be a good father until the day I met you. I needed you as much as you needed me, and couldn't live with myself if something happened to you."

Lennan felt a tear run down her cheek at his small confession. No one other than her had ever heard him talk that way. It was no secret how much he loved her, but it was completely different for him to admit his failures with her sisters. Tig took a finger and wiped a tear from her cheek. "I gotta stop talking about it. Happy would shoot me for being a pussy," he said, his voice catching in his throat slightly.

He absolutely knew that Lennan was aware of how much he loved her. Their father-daughter bond had grown so much over the years. But his injury had given him pause. If he would have died, Lennan would have been heartbroken. He loved his Club and his brothers, but he loved his daughter more, and he was determined to do everything he could to keep himself alive for a long, long time.

Tig coughed to clear his throat, throwing his daughter a full on grin. She smiled back at him and kissed his cheek before going back to her chair. "So," he said, picking up another slice of bacon. "School starts soon. Tell me about the classes you're going to take."

* * *

Lennan had spent several hours with her father, giving him a rundown of her class schedule, then making small talk and watching cartoons with him. As lunch time approached, Gemma called her asking if she wanted to run errands with her.

Tig had waved Lennan out, telling her to have Gemma take her shopping. He handed her his credit card that was in his wallet, telling her to try not to break the bank, but to get what she wanted. After writing down Kohn's name on a piece of paper and putting the credit card in her wallet, Lennan kissed her father on his cheek and made her way down to the front of the hospital just as Gemma was pulling up in her Cadillac.

Lennan got into the passenger side and dropped her bag at her feet before leaning over to kiss Gemma's cheek. "Thanks for picking me up," she said. She pulled out a piece of gum from her purse and popped it in her mouth, throwing the wrapper out the window.

"No problem, sweetheart. Your dad texted me about that little creepy prick." Lennan nodded solemnly. She had noticed her dad texting someone while they were watching cartoons. She had expected he had been telling Gemma when the matriarch called her shortly after he put down his phone.

"Yeah," she responded, blowing a bubble. It popped and she chewed for a little bit before speaking again. "I threatened the little fucker. So we'll see if he comes around again." She saw Gemma grin at her before turning down another road. "Daddy told me to ask you to take me shopping. He was going to take me yesterday."

"Of course, baby. We'll go right after we stop by Cara Cara." Lennan looked at Gemma in shock. The Queen just shrugged as she navigated the SUV through traffic. "Luann called. She needed me to bring her a flash drive she left at home."

Lennan sighed. She was not a prude by any means. But she didn't like going to Cara Cara. It made her uncomfortable and a majority of the 'actors', as Luann called them, were bitchy. But she couldn't complain. Gemma was voluntarily lugging her around, after all.

The two rode in a companionable silent for the remaining few miles. Gemma made one final turn before navigating around a couple of buildings and into a parking lot, where Lennan recognized Luann's cherry red convertible sitting. Gemma reached behind her seat and grabbed her bag before opening her door. "You coming?" she shot over her shoulder before hopping down out of the vehicle.

Lennan nodded and opened her door, hopping a longer distance out of her seat than Gemma had to. She left her bag on the floor and slammed the door shut, following the matriarch toward the door.

As Gemma and Lennan stepped into the building, the younger girl cringed at the sounds and smells of sex that hung in the air. There was a scene happening on her right. Three women in tight dresses were grinding on two men dressed in baggy clothes and bandannas. One of the girls dropped it low as the lyrics to the song playing in the background announced "Cream on the inside, clean on the outside." Lennan gagged as she walked by and she steadfastly ignored it, focusing instead on the blonde sitting in the director's chair.

Luann hugged Gemma and beamed when she saw Lennan. "Hey, sweetheart! I didn't know you were coming!" She grabbed Lennan and pulled her into a hug, kissing the teenager's cheek.

Lennan chucked a little before saying softly, "Neither did I." Moans erupted again from the set behind her, and she could feel her face blush deeply. Gemma chuckled and threw her arm around the embarrassed girl.

As Lennan stood there listening to Luann and Gemma prepare for the next family dinner, she noticed an actress walking their way on teetering heels, a pretty young girl trailing behind her. Gemma stopped talking as the woman came up to them. With narrowed eyes, the Queen looked at the newcomer.

"Luann. I'm sorry I'm late. My daughter's deadbeat dad was supposed to let her stay with him. But he went to Cabo with his new little gash at the last minute," the woman said.

The girl stood behind her her mother and looked down at her tennis shoes with a slight blush. She looked about Lennan's age, with long blonde hair and pretty blue eyes. Lennan saw Gemma shoot the girl a sympathetic look.

"I had to go and pick her up, and I had no time to drive all the way home and come back here," the woman continued, fluffing her curled hair a little.

Luann looked at her through narrowed eyes. "And you just want her to sit here and watch as her mom takes two in the ass for eight hours?" she asked in disbelief. Lennan saw the young girl blush again and look slightly disgusted.

Gemma looked at the girl thoughtfully for a moment before turning back to her best friend. "Lennan and I have to go shopping. School is starting soon and she needs new clothes. She can come with us." The young girl looked up hopefully. Gemma smiled at her.

"And who are you?" the actress asked, placing a hand on her thin hip. Lennan groaned to herself. This woman was obviously new if she had no idea who the Queen was. The daughter looked up at Lennan curiously, sending her a small smile. The brunette beauty returned it.

Gemma looked at Luann and chuckled a little before turning back to the porn star. "I'm Gemma Teller Morrow." The actress's eyes widened. She may not have known Gemma by sight, but she sure as hell knew the name.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Teller Morrow," the actress said, obviously finding her manners. "That's a kind offer. I don't want my baby to have to stay around here and watch this shit." Lennan noticed the teenager's eyes roll at her mother's back. She placed an innocent look on her face when her mother turned to her. "You go with them, okay?" She pulled a wad of cash from her purse and handed it to the girl. "Get yourself some things for school, too."

The girl nodded at her mother, watching as the woman thanked Gemma again before turning on her too tall heels and walking toward the dressing rooms. She then turned back to the three other women and visibly relaxed. "Sorry about her. She did a bump of coke before coming, so she doesn't have a filter." Luann shook her head and sighed, obviously used to that kind of thing. The young girl stepped forward and held her hand out to Gemma. "Thank you for taking me with you, Mrs. Teller Morrow. I didn't want to stay here at all," she glanced at Luann. "No offense. It just makes my skin crawl. I'm Lyla, by the way."

Gemma smiled down at the pretty young blonde, liking her already. "Nice to meet you. This is Lennan," she introduced. Both girls smiled at each other, and Lennan felt a sort of camaraderie with the girl. "And call me Gemma. Please. Mrs. Teller Morrow makes me feel like I have one foot in the grave with the other halfway there."

Lyla gave a pretty laugh. "Gemma it is." The matriarch smiled at her and told both of the girls to wait a minute while she settled some things with Luann. Gemma then turned her back, leaving the two girls silent.

Lennan walked over to Lyla. "Hi. Like she said. I'm Lennan."

Lyla smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you. Is Gemma your mother?"

Lennan shook her head with a smile. "More like a crazy aunt. My dad is a member of the Club Gemma's husband runs. We're like a huge family, and sometimes she does act like my mother," she finished, glancing over at the Queen, who was laughing at something Luann had just said.

Lyla's eyes widened at the mention of the Club. "The Sons of Anarchy?" Lennan nodded. "That must be intense. My mom's a porn star with a drug addiction and my dad is an accountant going through his mid-life crisis. His girlfriend is only four years older than I am," she commented.

Lennan laughed, enjoying the other girl's company. "We have a lot of girls who hang around the Club that are that young. They try to get with the members." Lyla looked a little disgusted, and Lennan nodded in agreement. "I try not to go around them too much. Some can be nice, but the others are either vicious or they think they can use me to get to my dad."

Lyla looked at her sympathetically. "That's shitty. Well, you don't have to worry about me doing that." She leaned a little toward Lennan. "Old men freak me out," she said softly, and both of the girls watched one of the older male porn stars walk by. They dissolved into a fit of giggles, causing him to look back in confusion.

Lennan caught her breath first. "I haven't seen you around. You don't go to Charming High, do you?"

Lyla shook her head. "No. Well, at least I didn't. My mom and I just moved from out east at the beginning of summer. My dad lives out here, in Stockton, and she wanted to see if she could weasel more money out of him." Lennan was a little surprised that this girl was so brash about her mother. But then again, she was the same way about her own. Lyla looked at her sheepishly and continued. "Obviously, that didn't work out. I was supposed to stay with him for a while, but like Ma said. He went to Cabo with his barely-legal girlfriend. Mom and I just moved into an apartment in Charming, so I'll be starting there when it starts."

Lennan smiled at her. "Oh, good! It would be nice to have another girlfriend there. I hang out with one other girl. Her name is Donna and she's dating one of my best friends." Lyla nodded. "Most girls are the same as the crow eaters. They either dislike me because of my association with the Club, or they try to saddle up to me thinking they'll get closer to Jax or Opie because of it."

Lyla's eyes grew wide. "Jax. Jax Teller." Lennan looked at her, a little shocked that she knew Jax's name. Lyla's eye travelled to Gemma, then back to Lennan. "I didn't even put it together. Gemma's Jax's mom?"

Lennan nodded. "How do you know Jax?"

Lyla shook her head, then looked at her slightly embarrassed. "I don't know him personally. My friend Ima talks about him sometimes. You might know her. She goes to Charming High."

Lennan's pretty eyes narrowed. "Ima? As in Ima Renton." Lyla nodded. "She's been after Jax since eighth grade. I didn't know you knew her." She cringed, thinking about the vindictive bottle blonde who threw herself at Jax every chance she got.

Lyla shrugged. "Her mom works here. Cinnamon and my mom are friends. Well, kinda. They party and do coke together. But Ima was the first half-way decent person I met here." She looked at her shoes and continued quietly, "No one really wants their kids to hang around a porn star's daughter."

Lennan looked at the girl with empathy. How many times had she come home as a kid crying because the other girls snubbed her. All because of who her family was. Lennan knew what it was like to have people judge you just because of who your parents were. She gently took Lyla's hand. The blonde looked up at her. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. Bikers' kids and porn stars' kids seem like a good match." Lyla smiled at her.

Lennan grinned and threw her arm around her shoulders, steering toward Gemma, who was picking up her purse. "We'll go shopping. Get some lunch. Then I'll have Gemma drop us off at the clubhouse and I'll call Donna. Maybe we can have a girl's night tonight."

Lyla looked up at her hopefully. "Really?" she asked hopefully.

Lennan smiled and nodded at her. She thought about how sweet Lyla was from the beginning knew that she had just made a good friend. "Really."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this! I have big ideas for Lyla. What do you all think about Lennan liking her? And uh-oh. Ima's here. This is gonna be fun.**

**Until next time! **


	9. Chapter 7: Shots!

**So, this chapter will introduce someone new. And there's a lot of girl bonding!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Lennan grunted as she dragged her bags to the car. The late summer sun was glinting off of her mahogany hair, making it shine. Sighing, she lowered her sunglasses from the top of her head to cover her assaulted blue eyes from the light.

"I can't believe I spent so much money. Daddy is gonna kill me," she groaned to Lyla and Donna, who were keeping pace on either side of her while struggling with their own bags.

Donna looked at her friend with a slight smirk before shaking her head. "Puh-lease," she drawled. "That man lives to spoil you."

Lyla chuckled, smiling over at Donna. "And so does Jax." The two girls rolled their eyes at each other simultaneously before bursting into laughter, causing Lennan to shoot them both a playful glare. She was relieved that Donna got along well with her new friend. The way the three girls acted toward each other made it feel as if they had all been friends for longer than just a week. Lennan smiled as she remembered how shy Lyla was when she first met Donna. A shyness that flew out the window as soon as the smaller girl hopped up to the pretty blonde, threw her arms around her, and welcomed her in the warm and affectionate fashion only Donna had.

Lennan shook her head slightly, watching her two friends, who were slightly ahead of her now, laughing while swinging their shopping bags. She groaned again under the weight of her own bags, relieved when she finally spotted Lyla's bright red Mustang reflecting beautifully in the sunlight. Lyla hated what her mother did for a living, but sure loved the things the absent woman would buy for her daughter to try and earn back some affection.

Lennan threw her bags into the now open trunk before stepping aside to allow the two other girls do the same. Lennan looked around the half full parking lot with a smile. Apparently, the Club had now made peace with a neighboring MC, and it was safe to travel outside of Charming. She had only heard it from Jax last week. So, of course Lennan would tell her friends.

The first thing Lennan and Donna decided to do with the new found freedom was travel to Alameda to a shopping mall they'd heard about, but had never been to due to Club politics. Lennan had failed to mention it to her father. Or Gemma. Or anyone for that matter. She didn't want a babysitter. It was better to ask for forgiveness than permission, right? So, showing a little rebellion, the girls had picked Lyla up without warning. The blonde then insisted that, since it was their idea, she would drive.

Lennan glanced to the entrance of the mall, spotting a bronze skinned man exit with a pretty woman who had a baby on her hip and an ice cream cone in her other hand. The man had on a cut similar to the one the boys in the Club wore. Lennan stiffened as the man looked over and spotted the three girls, two of which weren't paying attention while they bickered quietly about something by the trunk of the car.

The man said something to the woman he was with, who looked up. She gave a small nod to the man and sent a small smile toward Lennan before heading through the rows of cars to her right. The man continued his trek toward the girls.

"We have company," Lennan announced quietly to her friends. The two girls instantly stopped their small debate and looked toward her. Donna saw what Lennan was looking at and grabbed her best friend's arm, while Lyla only looked slightly confused. She was not yet wise to the Club's real actions, and didn't know that they had so many enemies.

"Maybe we should go," Donna muttered, warily looking at the man, who was keeping a steady, slow pace as he made his way over. She motioned for Lyla to get into the car. The blonde obeyed without question, realizing something wasn't quite right.

"Get in the car, Donna. Call Ope. Tell him what's going on. I'll hold him off. If something happens, I want you and Lyla to get out of here, quick, and go straight to the clubhouse." Lennan muttered quickly, pushing her friend behind her toward the now running car. Lennan wasn't sure who this man was, but she wasn't willing to take any chances. Thinking back, she scolded herself for not letting anyone, even Jax, know where she was going. While there was peace at the moment, she knew he would have insisted that at least he came with the girls, and Lennan didn't want to have a big bad biker following her around all day. She just wanted a day with her girls, and now it was coming back to bite her in the ass.

"Lenni, come on," Donna urged, pulling at her arm.

"No. You go. Now. Get in the car Donna. We're wasting time. You need to call Ope," Lennan whispered hurriedly. The man stopped in front of her, watching as Donna's eyes grew wide and she sprinted to the car.

Lennan moved back into his eyesight, distracting him from her friend. "Hello," she said civilly, crossing her arms over her chest. The man wasn't very tall, but he still had to look down to meet Lennan's stare.

The man didn't seem to notice the young girl's closed off demeanor, and if he did, he didn't comment. "Hello," he responded. His voice was deep and held a Spanish accent. "You must be Lennan."

Lennan shifted, suddenly more uncomfortable. She resisted the urge to look back at the car to see if Donna had listened to her and placed a call to Opie. Lennan refused to look anywhere but the man's face, removing her glasses to give him a view of her startling blue eyes. "I am. Who are you?" she questioned in a slightly harsh manner.

The man smiled at her, revealing white teeth that contrasted against his tanned skin. "I apologize, _chula. _You and your friends must be worried. I haven't introduced myself." The man held out his hand. "I'm Marcus Alvarez, President of the Mayans."

Lennan had scrunched her nose slightly when he said _chula_, trying to think back to her high school Spanish classes to translate. As soon as he said his name, though, her posture immediately relaxed and she shot him a bright smile. Alvarez was taken back slightly at the change in her demeanor, and Lennan laughed before grasping his hand with hers.

"Sorry," she said, breathing easier now that she knew she had nothing to fear. This is the man that the Club had just made peace with. And from what Jax had told her last week, the whole topic of peace talks came about because Alvarez wanted to end the tension between the Sons and the Mayans. Lennan knew she and the girls were safe. This man wouldn't want to start a war.

She took her hand back after shaking his, and ran it through her hair. "I didn't know who you were," she explained, looking down at her strappy sandals as she played with a pebble. She was slightly embarrassed. "I didn't look at your cut because I was too focused on making sure you weren't pulling a gun on me," she finished, nodding at the "President" and "Mayans" patches on his chest.

Alvarez chuckled, shaking his head. "I figured. But I came over here to tell you, little Lennan. You need to be careful. The Sons and the Mayans may have peace, but we are both still at war with the Chinese and black. They're trying to overrun this area, and I wouldn't want you or your friends to get hurt." The man watched as Lennan paled slightly. The look she gave him, though, was pure steel.

"I appreciate the warning, Mr. Alvarez," Lennan replied gratefully, looking him in the eye. "I didn't think about that. I was just relieved to be able to leave Charming."

"Call me Marcus, _chula._ And I understand. I wanted to warn you, because I would want the same for my own daughter." Marcus glanced back at where the woman and child had gone.

"Was that your family?" Lennan asked suddenly.

Marcus turned around to look at her before smiling softly. "Yes. My wife, Diana, and my daughter, Tessa. They're my world, just like I know you are your father's and Jax's."

Lennan blushed slightly, before nodding. She gave the man a brilliant smile before saying, "They're beautiful. Both of them. But, I think you should get back to them." Marcus looked confused, but Lennan continued. "You don't want to leave your Old Lady and baby girl unattended during tough times just to talk to a teenager. They need to be safe," she responded in a lightly scolding manner.

Marcus could immediately see that the things he had been told about this young woman were completely true. She cared about others, but had the makings of an Old Lady that would rival Gemma Teller one day. The girl's beautiful blue eyes shined in the light of the setting summer sun, open and honest. He waited a heartbeat before nodding and smiling. "You're right. I should get back. But tell Clay to call me when you get back to Charming, so I know you're safe."

Lennan smiled and shook his hand again, before turning back to the car. Marcus walked off, weaving through the emptying lot to get to his wife and daughter.

Lennan looked through the back door window to where Donna was sitting and almost fell over in surprise. Yanking the door open, Lennan ducked her head inside. "Donna! Where the hell did you get a gun?"

Donna looked at Lennan in concern, then to her lap where her Smith &amp; Wesson Bodyguard .38 Special was waiting. She glanced back at Lennan with a sheepish smile. "One of Piney's sober moments," she explained, while Lennan tried not to giggle. Donna's face became fearful again. "Who was that?"

Lennan looked from Donna to Lyla, who was sitting in the driver's seat, fidgeting nervously. Lennan sent her a smile before looking back to Donna, saying, "Marcus Alvarez."

A look of recognition came across Donna's face. She put the gun back in her bag before smiling at Lyla, who looked back at the two, confused. "You don't wanna know," she explained.

Lyla nodded, grinning. "Whatever you say. You guys seem to be in some shit, though. And Donna, you may wanna call Opie back and tell him we won't need the cavalry," she reminded. Lennan laughed and got into the front passenger seat while Donna frantically explained the situation to Opie.

The three girls then turned up the music and rolled down their windows before driving through the lot. Lennan waved to Marcus and his family, who were still there, as she and her friends passed. Diana smiled at her warmly while Marcus chuckled and waved back. The three girls then began singing to the radio. None of them noticed the black Escalade at the end of the lot, with the overly tinted windows and the driver who had seen everything, pressing a phone to his ear.

* * *

"Savannah Lennan Trager, where in the _hell_ have you been?!" Lennan hadn't even shut the car door before she heard the swift click of heels marching toward her from across the crowded Clubhouse parking lot. She shrank back slightly, eyeing her surroundings warily. "Don't you dare even think about running with your twitchy tail between your legs, either!" Gemma continued making a beeline toward the three girls, eyes blazing fire.

"G-Gemma!" Lennan said sweetly. She glanced over at Donna and Lyla, who were both watching Gemma's approach with wide, fearful eyes. Lennan noticed Donna begin to shimmy toward the Clubhouse, and grabbed her arm. "I'm not going through this alone!" she hissed out of the corner of her mouth. Donna glared at her best friend, but didn't have the chance to say anything before Gemma was in front of them, arms crossed over her chest and stiletto heel tapping.

Gemma sighed and looked at the now dark sky, looking as if she was trying to say a silent prayer. Turning back to the girls, her eyes zeroed in on the one who she had helped raise. Angry hazel met fearful blue. "Where. Were. You?" Gemma bit out. She looked at the girl she loved like a daughter (and that was saying something, because Gemma was a firm believer of all baby girls being drowned at birth) and softened slightly at Lennan's remorseful gaze.

"I'm sorry, Gem," Lennan mumbled. "I didn't tell you or Jax or Daddy. The girls and I went to Oakland to go shopping. I didn't think it would be a big deal, since the Sons and the Mayans worked shit out. But then I talked to Marcus Alvarez." Gemma's eyes widened and she glanced over at Opie, who was the one that told her the girls were on their way home. Apparently, he had failed to mention that little bit of information. The woman looked back to Lennan as the girl began to talk again. "He warned me to be careful, and to not leave Charming unescorted, because there's still tension with the Niners and Lin."

Gemma put a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Shit." Looking at the three girls, she figured they were scared and remorseful enough. "Just don't do it again, baby." Looking at the other two, she said sternly, "And if she ever comes up with another bright idea like this again, I expect you both to tell her to shut the hell up." Both girls nodded vigorously. Gemma glanced back to Lennan and smiled at her. "But, good news. Your dad is on his way here."

Lennan's mood perked up. She had completely forgotten that it was the day her dad was to be released from the hospital. She'd been with him the day before when he had hounded the doctors to let him leave. They finally relented, telling him he could go home the next evening, with enough pain killers to keep her father happy for a _long_ time, as long as he promised to take it easy. Lennan had left the room in a huff when Tig started asking if he was allowed to have sex.

Gemma looked at Lennan and smiled, hugging her tightly. "He'll be here in ten minutes."

Lennan hugged Gemma back. As the two released each other, Jax and Opie walked over. The blonde looked worried and irritated, while the other shot Lennan a sympathetic glance before going to his own girlfriend and wrapping her in a tight hug. When he reached her, Jax took Lennan's hand in his before pulling her forcefully to him and crushing his lips to hers. He ignored the fact that his mother was right beside them, smirking. He ignored the catcalls and hollers from his brothers. He was just happy that Lennan was safe.

Pulling away for air, Jax looked into Lennan's slightly glazed blue eyes. "What the hell were you thinking?" he growled, squeezing her to him tighter. "Do you know how stupid that was?"

Lennan looked down, beginning to play with a loose string on Jax's cut. "I'm sorry," she whispered, her throat choking up. "I didn't think. Alvarez was really nice, though. And his wife looked sweet. And their daughter is precious." Lennan continued playing with the string.

"That's not the point!" Jax barked, startling everyone within ten feet of them. He took a deep breath and ran his ringed hand through Lennan's hair, holding the side of her face. As always, she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. Jax sighed and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering as he said, "I just don't want to lose you, darlin'. You need to be more careful."

Lennan looked up at him with misty eyes. "I know, Jax. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Jax looked into Lennan's eyes, rubbing the side of her face with his thumb. "Lennan, you need to be safe. I can't lose you. I lo…"

Suddenly, a horn honked behind him, startling both. Lennan peeked around Jax's broad shoulders with a smile on her face. She looked back up at him with excitement. "Daddy's home!" she said joyously. "What were you going to tell me?"

Jax shook his head and smiled down at her, before kissing her forehead and releasing her. "Nothing, darlin'. Go welcome your dad home." Lennan grinned at him and kissed his lips before bouncing away toward the car that had just pulled up.

Jax heaved a sigh and turned to face Gemma, Lyla, Donna and Opie. Each one was looking at him, stunned. They knew what he was about to say. "Not a word," he growled, pointing a finger at each of them before stalking into the Clubhouse to get himself a strong drink.

* * *

"Daddy!" Lennan squealed, resembling the little girl she used to be, and launched herself at her father. He cringed slightly as they collided, and Lennan realized she landed on his wound. She immediately pulled herself back. "I'm so sorry!"

Tig chuckled, his blue eyes happy. "It's okay, princess. I'm glad to be home." He kissed her forehead, then turned her around and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He looked at the crowd of smiling bikers, crow eaters and hang arounds. Raising the arm he didn't have secured around his daughter, he threw his head back and whooped before screaming, "Daddy's home, bitches!" The crowd roared, people clapping and shouting as a few of the members that were closest moved forward to greet their brother and welcome him back.

After a few moments, Lennan left her father's side. Tig was already working on getting drunk, and Lennan reminded him to be careful mixing alcohol with his pain pills. Tig nodded and kissed her forehead again before getting drawn back into the conversation he was having with a couple of members from Tacoma.

Lennan weaved her way through the leather clad people, occasionally bumping into someone she knew. She made it into the Clubhouse with ease and spotted Donna leaning against the bar, watching and smiling as Opie played pool with Chibs. Lennan walked over to the girl and nudged her with her shoulder. "What do you say we do a celebratory tequila shot?"

Her friend smirked, continuing to watch Opie. "To celebrate what? Your dad coming home? Or the fact that Gemma didn't skin us alive?"

Lennan laughed. "Either. Both. Hey! Why not just do two shots?!"

Donna looked at her quickly before looking away just as fast. "I can't. I don't feel so good." She motioned with her head to the glass that she was holding. "Water."

Lennan frowned. "Are you okay? Do you need me to take you home? Maybe you should go lay down."

Donna laughed and shook her head, giving Lennan a small smile. "I'll be fine. Promise. Just the beginnings of a migraine." She took another sip of her water. "So," she said suddenly. "You and Jax okay?"

Lennan shrugged, catching a flash of blonde hair. The man in question was chatting away with a young hang-around. Lennan thought the kid's name was Kip or something. She watched as Jax raised the glass in his hand to his lips, taking a drink of the amber liquid. "I think so," she responded quietly. There was a small smile on her faced that she wasn't even aware of. Donna smirked before taking another sip of her water. Lennan turned back to her friend, who was still watching Lennan watch Jax, and smiled. "He's something else. I love being with him. I just forgot the dangers of everything."

Donna's face was shrouded with a dark, contemplative look within half a second. "I know what you mean," she sighed, looking off at Opie again.

Lennan put her arm around her friend and rested her head on Donna's shoulder. "Is everything okay, Donna?" she asked. The dark haired girl sharply turned to her friend, a surprised look on her face. "I just mean," Lennan continued, gesturing between Donna and Opie, "you seem really tense."

Donna relaxed a bit, and nodded her head before a small smile found its way to her lips. "We're good. He was just upset about the trip we made. But we're okay." She sighed and looked at her boyfriend with sad eyes. "I just worry."

"Why?" Lennan asked, confused. She shot a small smile of thanks to the crow eater behind the bar who slid her a rum and coke without having to be asked. "What's there to worry about?"

Donna shrugged her small shoulders, glancing down at the half empty glass she still held. "I don't know. Sometimes, I wonder what will come of this. I don't know that I'm Old Lady material. I don't think I can be the type of woman he needs," she admitted in a small, uncertain voice.

Lennan lifted her head from her friend's shoulder and pulled her tighter to her side. "Donna, look at him," she said softly, gesturing to Opie. The boy was laughing at something Chibs told him before glancing over at his girlfriend. When his eyes landed on Donna, they softened. He sent her a small, shy smile and blew her a kiss before turning back to Chibs. "He loves you," Lennan continued. "I've known him for years. And I've never seen him in love. Until you. You say you don't have what it takes to be an Old Lady. But you do. You'll hold him together, Donna. When shit gets rough, and when everything seems like it's going to fall around him, you're going to be the glue. Because you love him. And that's what an Old Lady needs to do."

Donna turned her misty eyes to her friend. "Really?" she asked.

Lennan smiled and wiped away a stray tear that decided to fall down Donna's cheek. "Yes," she responded, kissing the girl's forehead. "You bring out the best in him. You make him happy. You call him out on his shit, and you're there for him when he doesn't even know that he needs you. Donna, being an Old Lady is so much more that being tough. You have to know your Old Man, and you have to love him through his flaws. You're going to be just fine."

Donna smiled at Lennan and leaned her forehead against hers. "You're my best friend, you know that?"

Lennan laughed and turned back to the crowd, using her eyes to smile at Donna from the side. "And you're mine, sister."

The other girl grinned. "How about that celebratory shot, after all?"

Lennan cheered loudly before turning back to the bar, trying to get to the attention of the crow eater serving drinks. She didn't see the way Donna was smiling knowingly at Jax, who kept staring at her mahogany haired friend from across the room.

_Oh, Lennan_, she thought. _Opie isn't the only guy that's in love._ As if reading her thoughts, Jax met her eye and raised his glass.

* * *

**Welcome, Marcus!**

**And who was the man in the SUV?!**

**If you guys noticed, I had Lennan use the line about Donna being the glue from the first season.**

**I didn't edit this as much as my previous chapters, but I wanted to get it to y'all. If there are any errors, feel free to let me know!**


	10. Chapter 8: Rockin' That Thing

Hey guys!

Happy Valentine's Day (A.K.A. Love Day)

This is my Valentine's Day gift to you all! I hope you enjoy it! We'll be meeting another character.

I want to say thank you to everyone for the reviews, follows and favorites. The support you all give me is what motivates me to keep writing.

Again, I love feedback, so if there are any questions, suggestions, or things anyone catches that I need to fix, let me know!

* * *

"Goooooooooooood morning, Charming! Today is August 24th, and you know what that means! That's right, kiddos. School's back in session! Don't worry, all you parents listening. We won't tell your once bundles of joy now turned evil little beings how relieved you are for that eight hour break you'll now have each day. But kiddies, you can't leave the house without knowing the weather, can you? Today is gonna be a cool one, with high of only 67 degrees. May wanna grab a sweater before you head towards hell... I mean school! Now, to get you in a better mood, here's The Dream. Rockin' That Thang."

Lennan walked into her bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body. The Dream began singing from the radio on the dresser. She put on her bra and panties and grabbed her hairbrush, beginning to drag it through her long locks. Lennan shimmied her hips to the beat of the song, mouthing the lyrics. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and brought her hairbrush up to her face, using it as a makeshift microphone.

"She goin' right. She goin' left. Got her here, to myself. I got it on, like I want it," she crooned, hopping around her bedroom while her long, damp hair bounced behind her. "She rode the d, like a pony." Swaying her hips to the music, Lennan let her head fall back and she continued to sing. Toward the end of the song, she made one last turn and came face to face with an amused looking Jackson Teller, standing at her door. Lennan dropped her hairbrush and her jaw at the same time.

"Don't stop the show for me, baby. It was just getting good," he told her, blue eyes sparkling mischievously. Lennan stared at him with her mouth still opened, feeling the blood surge to her cheeks and her heart flutter at the word 'baby'. She stared at him, as if in a trance, as the licked his lips while eyeing her up and down.

"Jax! Leave her alone! It's not like you don't jump around the Clubhouse air guitaring to every ACDC song that comes on," came a small, playful voice. Lennan watched as Donna pushed herself past Jax to stand at the door, grinning at her best friend. "You gonna stand there all day in your underwear or get dressed so we can leave? We're gonna be late if you don't hurry up."

Lennan looked down at her body, clad in her teal bra and panties set, before back up at Donna and Jax. Squealing slightly, she grabbed Donna's arm and pulled her into the room before she slammed the door closed in the face of the laughing, blonde haired biker. "I'll just wait out here, darlin'. Don't mind me!" came his shout through the door. Lennan silently groaned and continued to get ready while Donna sat smirking on the edge of the bed.

* * *

Lennan screamed in joy, clinging to Jax tightly as he sped toward the high school. She was going to have some major helmet hair and had mascara streaming down her face, but Lennan couldn't find it in herself to care. The open road and the warm body in front of her set her blood pumping.

Lennan was disappointed that it ended so soon. "Maaaaan," she groaned as Jax's pulled his bike through the entrance to the high school's campus a few minutes after leaving her house. He swung into a spot, Opie with Donna in tow soon behind. Lennan hopped off of the bike, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright. She took off her helmet as Donna and Opie walked over to them. "That was great! Can we go for a ride after school?" she asked, dancing around as Jax took the helmet from her.

He chuckled and nodded, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her to him. "Yeah, darlin', we can." He watched as Lennan smiled and ran her hand through her now wild hair.

Donna looked at Lennan like she was crazy. The small girl had never gotten used to riding on the back of a bike. "I'll never understand your fascination with those things," she said, shooting Opie's bike a wary glance.

Lennan pulled herself away from Jax's hold, laughing and twirling around the group. "Come on, Donna," she teased, walking backwards in front of her friend. "The wind, the sound of the engine. It's freedom!" Lennan threw her hands up and started skipping. Jax and Opie chuckled, shaking their heads.

Donna looked at her friend skeptically, then back at Jax and Opie. "Are you sure no one put something in those muffins she ate this morning?" she questioned in an amused tone. Jax shook his head and watched as Lennan bounced around in front of them, heading toward the main doors of the building. He was beginning to suspect something like that himself.

The four made their way into the crowded school, heading toward their lockers. Opie and Jax had theirs on one side of the building and Donna and Lennan on the other, due to their class differences. Jax pecked Lennan on the lips and murmured a goodbye, telling her he would see her soon. Lennan nodded and smiled, feeling the butterflies flutter in her stomach at the contact.

As Lennan and Donna made their way toward their lockers, they compared the schedules that they had both printed out earlier that morning. They were relieved to see that they had several classes in common, along with classes with the boys. Going to a small school had its perks.

Donna said goodbye to Lennan, heading off to her first period class while Lennan went to her locker. She had a free period first, so she took her time, looking over the walls of the place she had spent so much of the last two years in. Already, there were posters up on the walls, advertising book sales, cheerleading tryouts and campaigns for student body president. Lennan shook her head, muttering the word 'overachievers' to herself as she passed a flyer stating 'David Hale for Student Body President. He's one _hale_ of a guy.'

Lennan wasn't paying attention, trying to remember the combination to her locker, when she slammed into someone. She landed flat on her butt with an 'oof'. Looking up, Lennan's eyes met those creepy leering ones of Josh Kohn's that she so wished to avoid.

The girl glared and rose to her feet, rubbing her bruised rear. "Wonderful," she groaned. "Just the way I wanted to start my year."

Kohn smirked at her, taking in her light washed ripped skinny jeans, heeled ankle boots and black off the shoulder shirt. "You look nice today, Lennan," he sneered.

Lennan took a step back, glaring at him more. "Thanks," she hissed sarcastically. "Wish I could say the same."

The boy looked at Lennan, shocked, before going back to his sneer. "Wow, I guess Tar Tar was right. You are a bitch."

Lennan paused for a second, looking at Kohn blankly. Suddenly, she barked out a laugh. "Tar Tar? Who the hell is Tar Tar?" she laughed so hard she snorted, which made her laugh even harder. "Is that a nickname, or do you have conversations with condiments? I mean, it does make sense. You do have the personality of a dead fish."

Kohn glared at Lennan, advancing on her so that she had to back up against the lockers. Lennan's laughter was forgotten as she struggled to get away. However, Kohn had her blocked with an arm on each side of her. She was about to kick him in the balls, but stopped suddenly as he began to speak. "Actually," he said smoothly, pinching a couple of strands of her hair between two fingers and smiling at her grimace when he yanked them out. "I'm talking about Tara Knowles." Lennan's eyes shot to Kohn's. "Ah, you do know her. She's told me so much about you, Lennan. And I have to say, I'm disappointed. I saw what you did to her. That wasn't very nice. She hates you, you know. But for some god awful reason, she is still hung up on that blonde piece of biker trash."

Lennan's eyes narrowed, and she opened her mouth to speak. Quicker than she thought possible, Kohn's hand flew out and grasped her by the neck. Lennan's eyes widened in surprise, and she clawed at his hand in an attempt to have him release her. "I don't take to being threatened kindly, Lennan," he whispered, only a few inches from her face. "You threatened me and you hurt Tar Tar. She's a beautiful, wonderful girl, and trash like you doesn't deserve to walk the same ground as her. I'm telling you, Lennan. I'm going to make you pay. You don't know who you're dealing with, you biker slu.."

"What's going on here?" a new voice boomed. Lennan sighed in relief when Kohn's hand dropped from her neck. She slid to the floor, putting both of her tiny hands to her throat and rubbing the sore skin while taking deep, calming breaths. She looked up to see a young man she didn't recognize. He was dressed in baggy jeans and a black t-shirt with scuffed up boots. Lennan was never happier to see a stranger.

Kohn gave the newcomer a feral smile. "We were just talking."

The new guy crossed his toned arms over his chest, a scowl on his face. "Course you were. Because grabbing girl's by the throat is how to communicate. Get out of here before I kick your ass, you weird fuck."

Kohn's eyes narrowed and he glanced over to where Lennan was still sitting, glaring at him. "Remember what I said," he muttered, before turning on his heel and stalking away.

Lennan heaved a sigh of relief at watching him go. She jumped slightly as the stranger bent down in front of her, concern in his chocolate eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, eyes traveling to the red mark on her neck. Lennan managed a nod and a small smile before taking the hand he offered and standing up.

"Thank you," she said quietly, looking back down the hallway to make sure Kohn was gone. She turned back to the stranger, meeting his eyes and smiling. "You're new, huh?"

The guy gave a sheepish grin, rubbing a hand over his short cropped hair. "Yeah."

Lennan smiled, holding her hand out. "I'm Lennan. Welcome to Charming," she said sarcastically, causing him to laugh.

The boy took her offered hand in his, giving it a shake. "Nice to meet you, Lennan. I'm Juan Ortiz. But everyone calls me Juice."

* * *

Lennan waded through the lunch crowd, trying to make her way to the line. She rolled her eyes as she spotted Ima, looking at the salads offered in disgust. The blonde was wearing a skirt that left absolutely nothing to the imagination and struggled to walk in heels not even her porn-star mother could manage.

Shoving past the tramp, Lennan smiled at the lunch lady as she grabbed a tray and scooted it down the line. As she was deciding whether she wanted fruit salad or a piece of cake, she felt a large hand flop down on her shoulder. Lennan jumped slightly before turning quickly to see who it was.

She smiled as she spotted Juice, her savior from earlier this morning. The two talked after the incident, and it turned out they had a lot in common. Juice had just moved to Charming from New Jersey with his mom and older sister. He was a smart person, and Lennan enjoyed talking to him. She could tell that Jax and Opie would love him.

Grabbing a bowl of fruit salad, Lennan looked back at the tanned boy who smiled down at her. "Hey, Juicy," she said, watching as he picked up an iced tea and set it on his own tray.

Juice smirked at her before responding, "Hey, Lenny." Lennan grinned and rolled her eyes before leading the way to the cash register.

After paying, the two made their way into the main cafeteria. As Lennan's blue eyes searched for her friends, Juice bounced up and down slightly on the balls of his feet. "So, where are those guys you were telling me about earlier? I seriously need to talk to someone about my bike. Who better than two bikers?"

Lennan's eyes widened and snapped to where Juice stood. "You ride?" she asked, shocked. Juice just nodded before grabbing a French fry off of his try and popping it into his mouth.

"Huh," Lennan responded, finally spotting Jax, Opie, Donna and Lyla sitting at a table by the wall of windows. Lennan pointed them out and motioned for Juice to follow, which he obeyed.

Jax looked up as she approached, a soft smile forming on his face. A smile that disappeared when he noticed the hyper ball of Puerto Rican muscle behind her. Jax looked at the arriving stranger with suspicion. Opie noticed and rolled his eyes at Donna and Lyla, who were both watching in interest.

Lennan placed her tray on the table. Jax yanked her down suddenly. She was sitting so close she was almost on his lap. Her eyes widened when the blonde hunk pressed his lips to hers fiercely. Lennan's head began to swim before she pulled away. "Well hello to you too, babe," she murmured, stunned.

Lennan heard a snort coming from the direction of her friends and turned to look. Everyone at the table, including Juice, who had sat down next to a blushing Lyla, was smirking. It didn't take long for Donna to be the one to speak. "Jesus, Jax. I think you've already marked her as your territory. What are you going to do next? Pee on her?" Lennan giggled as she watched milk come flying out of Opie's nose while Juice choked on a carrot.

Jax heaved a sigh and slung his arm over Lennan's shoulders, pulling her into his side. He made eye contact with Juice, who quickly controlled his coughing. "Who are you?" He took a nonchalant sip of his coke.

Juice, who Lennan had come to notice didn't get mad easily, smiled at the blonde. "People call me Juice. I met Lenny this morning. Some douche was giving her a hard time, and I told him to fuck off." He shrugged and took a bite of his cake.

Lennan felt Jax stiffen next to her, while Opie and Donna shot her a look. Lyla was too busy stealing glances at Juice to catch what he had said. Jax turned to Lennan with worry. "Who?" was all he asked, never taking his fierce blue eyes from hers.

The girl looked down, poking at a pineapple piece in her fruit cup with a fork. "It was nothing," she responded quietly, placing the fruit in her mouth.

Juice quickly glanced at her, confused. Lennan prayed he wouldn't inform her friends of the situation he had walked up on earlier this morning. Her heart sank, though, as he shook his head and looked back to Jax. "It wasn't nothing. The fucker had her pressed up against a locker with his hand on her throat."

Donna and Lyla, whose attention was back on the conversation, gasped. Everyone flinched when Jax's fist hit the table. He looked at Juice, appreciating the boy's honesty, before repeating through clenched teeth, "Who?"

Lennan sighed, running a hand through her wavy hair. "It was Kohn," she revealed, feeling exhausted from the day already. Opie and Donna simultaneously looked to Jax, whose blue eyes had hardened. Lyla looked around, confused, and Juice continued to sip on his sweet tea through a straw, eyeing everyone warily.

Lennan placed a hand on Jax's clenched fist that rested on top of the table. "It's okay. I'm fine." She saw Jax nod, but he still had that far off, unfocused look on his face. Breathing out another sigh, Lennan continued. "But," she began. Everyone's eyes snapped to her now, including the confused Lyla's. "He said something to me… Before Juicy showed up. Something about Tara."

She swore she heard Donna growl. The dark haired girl looked over to where Tara was sitting at a table across the cafeteria, alone, waiting for someone. "That stupid, no good, low life _gash._ I'm so gonna…." she ranted, beginning to get out of her seat.

Opie, however, put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder and pushed her back down in her seat without removing his gaze from Jax's. The two were seeming to have a silent conversation, which was confirmed when Jax gave Opie an almost imperceptive nod. Without another word, Opie stood up and left the cafeteria.

Lennan groaned and put her head down on her arms on the table. Jax sighed and began rubbing her back with a ringed hand. "What is he going to do?" Her question was muffled, almost drowned out by the noise of the other students in the crowded room.

Jax shrugged and bit into his piece of pizza, chewing slowly. He swallowed hard when Lennan raised her head and glared at him with bright blue eyes. "He's just going to find the prick and see what he's up to."

Juice looked toward the table Tara was sitting at, before stopping his fork midway to his mouth. The few pieces of macaroni on it fell back to his plate as he turned to Jax and said, "He doesn't have to look far. King Asshole has just made his entrance."

The entire table turned to look at the door on the far side of the cafeteria as Josh Kohn walked in with his head held high. He peered around slightly before his eyes landed on Lennan, whose blue eyes were ice. Kohn smirked slightly, giving her a little wave. His smirk grew when he noticed the glare Jax was shooting at him, and Lennan's restraining hand on his arm.

Kohn continued to walk into the room, and Lennan could feel the surprise of her friends as the boy stopped at Tara's table. It was safe to say that their gasps were audible to the entire student body when Kohn pulled Tara into a hard, passionate kiss.

Lennan and her friends stared at each other with wide eyes. "This just got really fucking interesting," Jax muttered. Lennan nodded blankly in return, dreading the days to come.

* * *

Luckily for Lennan, she had the last three periods of the day after lunch with Opie and Jax. She felt safer with the two of them sitting on either side of her in the back of the classroom. She was particularly grateful for their presence when Kohn stepped into 12th period Economics. The smirking boy sate in the front of the class, but angled his body so he could send a leer toward Lennan every now and then.

Nothing eventful happened, though, and Lennan found herself breathing a deep sigh of relief when the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. She ran down the hallway, thanking God that she didn't see Kohn or Tara on the way. Throwing her books into her locker, she sprinted out to the parking lot where Jax was already waiting by his bike, talking to Juice and Opie.

The blonde smiled as he saw Lennan approach, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into a kiss that left the girl breathless. Hearing a cough, the two broke away to see smirks on their friends' faces. Juice said his goodbyes, promising to stop by the shop later that night, and Opie left to take Donna home. Most of the parking lot had emptied.

Jax smiled down at Lennan's tired, blue eyes. "You wanna go for that ride?" he asked, running his ringed fingers through her hair. Lennan shut her eyes and smiled, turning into his touch in the way he loved. She nodded her head slightly, a small smile on her lips.

The two spent several hours riding around the outskirts of Charming. Lennan kept her face buried in Jax's back, her nose taking in his leather and smoke smells. Eventually, she tapped him on the shoulder and yelled over the wind for him to find somewhere to stop. He took her up to the streams, parking under a tree. It was relatively empty in the area, with only an older couple picnicking several hundred yards away and a man fishing with his little girl in the water.

Lennan stiffly got off the back of the bike, taking the helmet off of her sweat dampened hair. Stretching, she handed the helmet to Jax before taking a seat against the base of the tree. Jax plopped down next to her, looking out at the man and his daughter. The little girl's squealing at the bait in the plastic cup on the ground in front of her wafted up to the two, earning a chuckle from Jax. Lennan smiled at the sound and picked a piece of grass, peeling it apart.

Jax heaved a sigh and laid down, looking up at her. "What's wrong, darlin'?" he asked, taking her hand in his. He examined her black nail polish, running his thumb over the smoothness.

Lennan shrugged. "I'm just tired. It was a very eventful day. I didn't expect Kohn to have it out for me."

Jax tensed and looked at her again. "I'm gonna talk to Tig and Clay about it. Something needs to be done."

Lennan shook her head, taking her hand from his and running it through her hair. She stood up and began pacing in front of him. He watched through his eyelashes.

"No, Jax," she said finally. "Don't do that. It doesn't need to be taken care if by the Club. You know how daddy is. Clay is almost as bad. They'll kill him."

Jax sat up, leaning against the tree and continued watching Lennan with irritated and worried eyes. "Exactly," was all he said.

Lennan stopped walking and turned to stare at him. "Are you kidding me?" she exclaimed. "Jax! He's a teenager! You can't just cut his life short because he's acting like a weirdo!"

Jax stood up in a huff, prowling over to Lennan, who stood her ground. "And why not?" he asked, stormily. "He threatened you. He's made it known that he wants to do you harm. Why shouldn't we have the Club handle it?"

"Because I'm more than the Club's property!" she yelled, throwing her hands in the air. She noticed the older couple jump at her exclamation and look her way. When they noticed Jax's cut, they turned back to their meal and their conversation, ignoring the two arguing teens. Apparently, they belonged to the percentage of citizens in Charming who weren't bothered by the Sons' presence.

Jax glared at Lennan, watching her as she began to pace back and forth again. "I never said you were," he growled. "I just think it would be best to act before the situation gets out of hand."

"Seriously? Your solution for avoiding a situation 'getting out of hand' is _killing_ someone? Jesus Christ, Jax!" She stopped pacing and looked him in the eye, pointing her finger at him. "I may not have known JT, but I sure as hell know his legacy. What would he think about this? Brains before fucking bullets, remember?"

Jax flared his nostrils before grabbing Lennan by the shoulders, shaking her slightly. "If someone threatened Gemma the way Kohn is threatening you, he sure as HELL would act the way I'm acting now!"

Lennan pushed him off of her and turned her back to him. Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed, "That's completely different, Jax. Gemma was his wife!"

"But he loved her! And I love you! What's the damn difference!" Jax shouted. He then completely froze, realizing what he had just said.

Lennan slowly turned to face the man of her dreams, her eyes wide and jaw hanging lose. Jax looked at her fearfully, his eyes just as wide. "Did you just… Say. You love me?" Lennan asked slowly, taking a couple of steps toward the terrified young man.

Jax swallowed hard, then nodded his head slightly. "Yeah. I did. I love you, Lennan. I have for years. I don't want anything to happen to you. And if I can do anything to prevent you from getting hurt, I'll do it."

Lennan smiled, closing the distance between the two. She was feeling lightheaded and her heart was beating in overtime, but her body was singing at his words. Taking Jax's face in her hands, she stood on her toes and whispered, "I love you too, blondie." She pressed her lips against his roughly.

He returned the kiss immediately. Winding his arms around her waist, Jax pulled Lennan up his body so that she had to wrap her legs around his hips. He nibbled on her bottom lip, causing her to gasp slightly. Jax took advantage and slipped his tongue into her mouth, stroking it against hers slowly. Lennan moaned slightly, causing Jax to lose his breath. His head was swimming with how much he wanted her, but he knew that it couldn't be here and now.

Regretfully, Jax broke the kiss, pecking Lennan's swollen lips a couple of times before setting her back on her unsteady feet. He lightly gripped the hair at the base of her neck, tilting her head so that her glazed eyes could stare into his. "I love you, Lennan. I won't kill him… yet. But I do have to tell your dad. I have a feeling that we shouldn't take his treats lightly. I'll keep you safe, though."

"I love you, too. And I know you will, Jax." Lennan responded, running her hand through his tangled blonde hair. She smiled softly before saying, "Now kiss me again."

Jax smirked, giving her what she asked for.

* * *

It happened! I hope it wasn't too rushed. But I feel like this is this is the right time in the story for them to admit their love. Let me know what you guys think!


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